Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's struggle to restore democracy

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's struggle to restore democracy

By Senator Dr. Javaid Laghari

The Pakistan Peoples Party is led by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who is the symbol of the country's thirty year fight against domination by the military or its surrogates. She is the most popular leader in the country with a national following whose courage in the face of odds has inspired others to overcome adversity and triumph over odds.Mohtarma Bhutto has paid a heavy price for her commitment to the people of Pakistan. She lost her Father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, and two brothers brutally and tragically. Her husband was imprisoned in ghastly conditions for eleven and a half years without a sentence. She spent six years including in one of the worst prisons of Pakistan and brought up her children as a single parent in years of exile persevering despite the obstacles. Her story is a mirror of the story of her supporters who have sacrificed and suffered so much to give the people of Pakistan freedom, equality, respect and emancipation from poverty, hunger and backwardness. No amount of demonisation by wicked opponents using the resources of the state for political purposes has diminished her standing as the massive reception of three million people at Karachi on October 18, 2007 demonstrated at her homecoming after eight years of exile.And when the terrorists struck at the October reception killing 179 people with cowardly bomb detonations, the PPP supporters did not lose heart. Even in their grief they called out, "how many Bhutto's will you kill? From each house a Bhutto will be born to fight on against tyranny". The PPP workers see themselves as the heirs of Quaid e Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave his life fighting tyranny.The PPP is a modern, democratic party which introduced the age of information technology into Pakistan. It empowered, educated and motivated young people to reach the top through effort and hard work. Mohtarma Bhutto kept peace in the region. There was no war in Pakistan or Afghanistan or with India. She never sacked a Judge nor curbed the media unlike the others. Her government brought the fruits of development through deregulation and decentralisation, creating a vibrant middle class, ending power shut downs and transforming the South Asian landscape. From a country being described as a terrorist state, Pakistan became one of the ten emerging markets of the world. Now under the present regime corruption and poverty is rampant. Transparency International rated the present regime more corrupt than any of its civilian predecessors. Some academics call Pakistan a failed state. Others fear a militant take over of the country that could trigger a conflict over who controls Pakistan's nuclear assets bringing death and destruction to the Nation.Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is a towering political leader with the mass support and is the only hope of the people to save Pakistan from a catastrophe. She will win any fair election hands down because people of Pakistan know from experience that her leadership will provide them hope and opportunity, respect and honour, peace and security as well as the compassion so necessary to create a caring society.