Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Women and the PPP
By Sherry Rehman
Despite the limited time the PPP governments had, their role in pro-actively pursuing a pro-women agenda is acknowledged even today by independent organisations that work with public sector bodies on gender mainstreaming projectsMs Rafia Zakaria wrote an article called ‘BB and Pakistani women’ (Daily Times, September 8, 2007) which raises some key questions about the prospects of improving women’s lives in case Ms Benazir Bhutto comes back to run the country. This article seeks to address her queries as well as quibbles. While speculation about the future governmental set-up continues, increased media attention coupled with an excessive information camouflage has blurred a number of realities associated with Ms Bhutto and the PPP. Ms Zakaria’s analysis of Ms Bhutto’s agenda for women seems to have fallen victim to the same trend. This view ignores a number of realities that mark Ms Bhutto’s two prime ministerial terms.Anybody who writes about the PPP’s performance in the 1990s should bear in mind three facts. First, Ms Bhutto came to power through the democratic route, and will always choose that path. A democratic system obliges the executive to work together with all other organs of the state while making and implementing decisions. Yet, despite the constraints of a coalition government, it was the PPP under the leadership of Ms Bhutto which introduced the first bill against honour killings in the Senate, only to find it defeated by its own allies.It was the PPP that initiated the process of dismantling the Hudood Ordinances bit by bit, via an executive order as well as acts of parliament in 1996, when whipping was abolished as a punishment and all women booked under the Hudood Ordinances were released and rehabilitated. Ms Bhutto’s government also instituted the National Commission on the Status of Women under Nasir Aslam Zahid, which paved the way for the Hudood Ordinances repeal debate. Second, in 1988, the country was reeling from the autocratic rule of General Zia-ul Haq, who had instituted the worst human rights regime ever experienced by Pakistan. Even in those difficult days, the PPP was at the frontlines of the struggle to reverse the draconian laws introduced by Zia, its membership on the streets swelling the ranks of the new women’s groups that had come up in resistance to the reactionary politics of the General. And, third, it was the PPP again in 2002 that, with the specific backing of Ms Bhutto, introduced the first legislation to completely repeal the Hudood Ordinances. In fact, it was the PPP’s constant pressure through private members’ bills that led to the government finally responding with a Women’s Bill, which again was steered and amended in committee by the PPP. As most will recall, the party made history by voting on issue with the government when all others voted against, while the treasury benches had 44 votes absent. Despite the limited time PPP governments had, their role in pro-actively pursuing a pro-women agenda is acknowledged even today by independent organisations that work with public sector bodies on gender mainstreaming projects. It was Ms Bhutto’s government that set up a Human Rights Ministry to watch and investigate human rights abuses, particularly those against women. In February 1996, in a move acknowledged by all women’s activists in the country, and against a cacophony of strong right-wing pressures, Pakistan ratified the United Nations’ Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This was a major achievement of the PPP government on international covenants related to the rights of women, and to this day is used as a critical benchmark by rights activists when measuring government performance in this area.Much is made today, as it should be, of the paucity of crisis centres for women in Pakistan. The first such centres were established by the PPP government under Ms Bhutto. Legal aid centres and burn units in hospitals were instituted in response to domestic violence complaints for the first time in Pakistan, and as the government was dismissed, a Domestic Violence Bill fell through.Before the government could get dismissed, however, the largest credit programme was established to facilitate easy credit for women, a full-fledged Women’s Bank and the first vocational training programme for women were set up. Targeting public health as a poor woman’s burden, the PPP government set up the largest public sector programme of Lady Health Workers, which established a vast network of 133,000 health practitioners to service rural and urban households in Pakistan, exclusively to cater to women’s health needs as well as to address reproductive health issues. These women health workers today constitute all that is left of Pakistan’s public health sector backbone, and is touted by all governments as Pakistan’s showpiece health programme. This is not all. After the institution of a job quota for women in public service, which was quietly reversed by the current government, women judges were appointed in High Courts and District Courts, and a network of women’s police stations was established.For the nay-sayers who say a female head of government is shackled with the problem of appearing too progressive and ends up with an appeasement agenda, the PPP under Ms Bhutto has never blinked when confronted with women’s issues as sold by the religious right as a private matter. The state intervened in all sectors possible for women and it will again. In Pakistan, even sports and culture are arenas fraught with reactionary discourse. Yet, under the PPP government, a Women’s Sports Board was established to promote women’s participation in sports and prepare Pakistani women athletes for international competitions. The First Islamic Women’s Games were held in Pakistan.Higher political participation for women is credited rightly to the current government, but it was the PPP government which was the first to move an amendment in the constitution for the restoration of women seats in National and Provincial Assemblies when it was dismissed in 1996. The party remains committed to a minimum 33% quota for women in all legislatures. But here is why a civilian, elected government with grassroots support is needed to bring change. The problem is that even piecemeal legal reforms can never really take root in a climate of fear, where the rule of law is every day institutionally subverted by a military dictator. Under democratic dispensations, no matter how dysfunctional they were, no journalists were killed for telling the truth, and no women rape victims were shockingly cast as “opportunists” by the head of state for seeking public sympathy in order to emigrate, as was done in the case of Dr Shazia Khalid. Under the PPP government, no churches could be burned down and no religious minorities persecuted with the kind of impunity we see today. Last but not least, Mukhtaran Mai could never be prevented from leaving the country for a women’s conference. I do hope this would satisfy Ms Zakaria, at least as a good beginning.Sherry Rehman is a Member of the National Assembly, and Central Information Secretary of the PPP
Despite the limited time the PPP governments had, their role in pro-actively pursuing a pro-women agenda is acknowledged even today by independent organisations that work with public sector bodies on gender mainstreaming projectsMs Rafia Zakaria wrote an article called ‘BB and Pakistani women’ (Daily Times, September 8, 2007) which raises some key questions about the prospects of improving women’s lives in case Ms Benazir Bhutto comes back to run the country. This article seeks to address her queries as well as quibbles. While speculation about the future governmental set-up continues, increased media attention coupled with an excessive information camouflage has blurred a number of realities associated with Ms Bhutto and the PPP. Ms Zakaria’s analysis of Ms Bhutto’s agenda for women seems to have fallen victim to the same trend. This view ignores a number of realities that mark Ms Bhutto’s two prime ministerial terms.Anybody who writes about the PPP’s performance in the 1990s should bear in mind three facts. First, Ms Bhutto came to power through the democratic route, and will always choose that path. A democratic system obliges the executive to work together with all other organs of the state while making and implementing decisions. Yet, despite the constraints of a coalition government, it was the PPP under the leadership of Ms Bhutto which introduced the first bill against honour killings in the Senate, only to find it defeated by its own allies.It was the PPP that initiated the process of dismantling the Hudood Ordinances bit by bit, via an executive order as well as acts of parliament in 1996, when whipping was abolished as a punishment and all women booked under the Hudood Ordinances were released and rehabilitated. Ms Bhutto’s government also instituted the National Commission on the Status of Women under Nasir Aslam Zahid, which paved the way for the Hudood Ordinances repeal debate. Second, in 1988, the country was reeling from the autocratic rule of General Zia-ul Haq, who had instituted the worst human rights regime ever experienced by Pakistan. Even in those difficult days, the PPP was at the frontlines of the struggle to reverse the draconian laws introduced by Zia, its membership on the streets swelling the ranks of the new women’s groups that had come up in resistance to the reactionary politics of the General. And, third, it was the PPP again in 2002 that, with the specific backing of Ms Bhutto, introduced the first legislation to completely repeal the Hudood Ordinances. In fact, it was the PPP’s constant pressure through private members’ bills that led to the government finally responding with a Women’s Bill, which again was steered and amended in committee by the PPP. As most will recall, the party made history by voting on issue with the government when all others voted against, while the treasury benches had 44 votes absent. Despite the limited time PPP governments had, their role in pro-actively pursuing a pro-women agenda is acknowledged even today by independent organisations that work with public sector bodies on gender mainstreaming projects. It was Ms Bhutto’s government that set up a Human Rights Ministry to watch and investigate human rights abuses, particularly those against women. In February 1996, in a move acknowledged by all women’s activists in the country, and against a cacophony of strong right-wing pressures, Pakistan ratified the United Nations’ Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This was a major achievement of the PPP government on international covenants related to the rights of women, and to this day is used as a critical benchmark by rights activists when measuring government performance in this area.Much is made today, as it should be, of the paucity of crisis centres for women in Pakistan. The first such centres were established by the PPP government under Ms Bhutto. Legal aid centres and burn units in hospitals were instituted in response to domestic violence complaints for the first time in Pakistan, and as the government was dismissed, a Domestic Violence Bill fell through.Before the government could get dismissed, however, the largest credit programme was established to facilitate easy credit for women, a full-fledged Women’s Bank and the first vocational training programme for women were set up. Targeting public health as a poor woman’s burden, the PPP government set up the largest public sector programme of Lady Health Workers, which established a vast network of 133,000 health practitioners to service rural and urban households in Pakistan, exclusively to cater to women’s health needs as well as to address reproductive health issues. These women health workers today constitute all that is left of Pakistan’s public health sector backbone, and is touted by all governments as Pakistan’s showpiece health programme. This is not all. After the institution of a job quota for women in public service, which was quietly reversed by the current government, women judges were appointed in High Courts and District Courts, and a network of women’s police stations was established.For the nay-sayers who say a female head of government is shackled with the problem of appearing too progressive and ends up with an appeasement agenda, the PPP under Ms Bhutto has never blinked when confronted with women’s issues as sold by the religious right as a private matter. The state intervened in all sectors possible for women and it will again. In Pakistan, even sports and culture are arenas fraught with reactionary discourse. Yet, under the PPP government, a Women’s Sports Board was established to promote women’s participation in sports and prepare Pakistani women athletes for international competitions. The First Islamic Women’s Games were held in Pakistan.Higher political participation for women is credited rightly to the current government, but it was the PPP government which was the first to move an amendment in the constitution for the restoration of women seats in National and Provincial Assemblies when it was dismissed in 1996. The party remains committed to a minimum 33% quota for women in all legislatures. But here is why a civilian, elected government with grassroots support is needed to bring change. The problem is that even piecemeal legal reforms can never really take root in a climate of fear, where the rule of law is every day institutionally subverted by a military dictator. Under democratic dispensations, no matter how dysfunctional they were, no journalists were killed for telling the truth, and no women rape victims were shockingly cast as “opportunists” by the head of state for seeking public sympathy in order to emigrate, as was done in the case of Dr Shazia Khalid. Under the PPP government, no churches could be burned down and no religious minorities persecuted with the kind of impunity we see today. Last but not least, Mukhtaran Mai could never be prevented from leaving the country for a women’s conference. I do hope this would satisfy Ms Zakaria, at least as a good beginning.Sherry Rehman is a Member of the National Assembly, and Central Information Secretary of the PPP
Mohtarma Bhutto addresses Middle East Institute in Washington
Mohtarma Bhutto addresses Middle East Institute in Washington
Says People do not want repeat of sham 2002 electionsDictatorship fuelling, not containing extremism.Islamabad, 25 September 2007: “The people of Pakistan want change. Change of systems, change of programs, change from a climate of threat to one of stability and prosperity. They don’t want to see the sham of 2002 repeated again, resulting in an illegitimate government that has no mandate to govern and fails to give security of life or economic growth that can provide hope and opportunity to those unemployed or living on the margins of poverty”, former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said this while speaking at the Middle East Institute, in Washington today. A large number of opinion makers, intellectuals, scholars, lecturers and students attended the function. Former US ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain heads the Middle East Institute.The former Prime Minister giving a detailed account of prevailing situation in Pakistan said, “It is a critical fork in the road between democracy and dictatorship and between moderation and extremism. In its resolution lies not only the future of Pakistan, but also its ability to contain the spread of militancy and extremism which now threatens the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Some argue that extremism can better be confronted by a military backed regime. It will not surprise you that I disagree with this view quite vigorously. I think it is a strategic miscalculation that has had a negative impact in the battle against violent fanaticism, posing grave dangers both to Pakistan and the larger world community. The attacks on the World Trade Towers, the Cole ship at Yemen, the embassies in Africa, the blasts in Bombay and in the Indian Parliament took place when I was in opposition”.Regarding the military regime’s inability to control the spread of extremism in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said, “Large sections of Pakistan’s tribal areas have been ceded to non Pakistanis in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militias. In fact, after defeat and demoralization following the fall of the Kabul, these violent elements have re-organized themselves under the shadow of the military regime. They attack NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan every day. They conduct suicide attacks within Pakistan killing innocent people. On September 20, 2007, Al – Qaeda declared war on the Pakistan army. Military dictatorship has fueled extremism. A democratically elected government enjoying the support of the people can bring peace to the people of Pakistan and eliminate extremism. Eliminate terrorism by taking extremism off the radar screen of the region. I was the civilian female leader of a democratic Pakistan that invested political capital in the tribal areas that a military regime has failed to control. As Prime Minister I brought the rule of law and the fruits of development to the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. My government broke up the international drug cartel’s militias that have now reasserted themselves under the Musharraf rule and are funding Al – Qaeda to have a narco-fiefdom. My Administration brought the authority of the government and the rule of law to FATA in the 1990s. And we can do it again. I would also add that as Prime Minister I took the necessary steps to close down political madrassas whose curriculum taught hatred and para-military terrorist techniques. I did this before they became a threat to the world community. I considered them a threat to the stability, security and progress of the people of Pakistan. It is only dictatorships which have used the Islamic card to legitimize their rule at the expense of the neglected people of Pakistan. Dictatorships, lacking a popular base, need the religious card, played in one shape or another, to justify their stranglehold on power. They need a crisis to obtain international support, both political and financial. Extremists have never been able to achieve more than 11% of the vote in a free election, and they will do worse, not better if free elections are held today. Dictatorship in Pakistan is not containing extremism, it is fueling. Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the free press. Each military dictatorship has undermined the independent judiciary by sacking of judges. In the last twenty years, my government is the only one which has neither removed a Chief Justice nor attacked the premises of the Supreme Court.”Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto expressing grave concerns about the political element in Musharraf’s party that presided over the rise of extremism and said, “Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan. The Musharraf regime has appointed extremists to head many of the mosques. For example the head cleric of the Red Mosque in Islamabad who led a mutiny in the summer of 2007 was appointed by the regime of General Musharraf. When he was caught smuggling weapons into Islamabad in 2004, he was released by the Minister of Religious Affairs. The same Minister has twice defended suicide attacks before a Pakistani audience while retracting them for the international community. When Pakistanis gather to pray on Friday in the mosques they are often subjected to long lectures by radical clerics appointed by the government even as the government claims publicly to be against extremism. The voices of moderation are exiled or imprisoned. The voices of extremism are protected. Moderate and centrist political parties, thriving human and political rights NGOs, the media, and progressive leadership within our security and intelligence agencies must be brought together to confront extremists who pose the greatest internal threat to Pakistan. This is a battle that can only successfully be waged in a democratic Pakistan by a legitimate government that enjoys the support of the people. This is a battle that I am prepared to wage, to lead and to win.”Regarding dialogue with General Musharraf, she said, “The goal of my dialogue with Musharraf has never been personal. The goal was always to ensure that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, pursuant to the Constitution, supervised by a robust team of international monitors and observers, as quickly as possible. My goal was quite literally to save democracy in Pakistan, to give democracy a chance to nurture and grow and strengthen.”On the issue of presidential election in Pakistan, she said, “Once General Musharraf files his nomination papers, the PPP would decide whether it would resign from the present Parliament or whether it would boycott the elections. While the PPP would not vote for General Musharraf as President from this Parliament unless there is a constitutional amendment, it would not resign if he took the necessary steps to show that he was moving toward fair elections and a level-playing field. If General Musharraf will retire from the post of Army Chief by October 5 - given his pledge to retire before the year’s end; second seek national reconciliation by passing an immunity law for those parliamentarians not proven guilty in the last decade; and third repeal the ban on a twice elected prime minister seeking office — a law that he put into place contrary to the constitution; the PPP will notresign from the Assemblies. The Pakistan People’s Party is holding a meeting with its ARD allies to decide this issue on October 3. Civil unrest is what the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suits them. The political element in Musharraf's party that presided over the rise ofextremism has worked with every Pakistani administration since my government was destabilized in 1996.”About the general elections in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said,“My Party and I seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an independent election commission under an interim government of national consensus. We want a level playing field for all candidates andparties. The Musharraf Election Commission has failed to give civil society and the opposition confidence.”Regarding her return home from exile, she said, “I chose Karachi as the city to return to because it is the city where the founder of Pakistan rests. Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah campaigned to create Pakistan as a democracy where all citizens would be equal irrespective of their race, their religion or their gender. I go to Karachi to rekindle the dream of Quaid e Azam for the people of Pakistan. My father gave his life standing up for Quaid e Azam’s dream of Pakistan. And so Karachi is full of symbolism for me. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan’s place in the community of democratic nations. I do not fear the extremists for I have put my fate in the hands of the people of Pakistan, and my faith in God.”
Says People do not want repeat of sham 2002 electionsDictatorship fuelling, not containing extremism.Islamabad, 25 September 2007: “The people of Pakistan want change. Change of systems, change of programs, change from a climate of threat to one of stability and prosperity. They don’t want to see the sham of 2002 repeated again, resulting in an illegitimate government that has no mandate to govern and fails to give security of life or economic growth that can provide hope and opportunity to those unemployed or living on the margins of poverty”, former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said this while speaking at the Middle East Institute, in Washington today. A large number of opinion makers, intellectuals, scholars, lecturers and students attended the function. Former US ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain heads the Middle East Institute.The former Prime Minister giving a detailed account of prevailing situation in Pakistan said, “It is a critical fork in the road between democracy and dictatorship and between moderation and extremism. In its resolution lies not only the future of Pakistan, but also its ability to contain the spread of militancy and extremism which now threatens the territorial integrity of Pakistan. Some argue that extremism can better be confronted by a military backed regime. It will not surprise you that I disagree with this view quite vigorously. I think it is a strategic miscalculation that has had a negative impact in the battle against violent fanaticism, posing grave dangers both to Pakistan and the larger world community. The attacks on the World Trade Towers, the Cole ship at Yemen, the embassies in Africa, the blasts in Bombay and in the Indian Parliament took place when I was in opposition”.Regarding the military regime’s inability to control the spread of extremism in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said, “Large sections of Pakistan’s tribal areas have been ceded to non Pakistanis in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militias. In fact, after defeat and demoralization following the fall of the Kabul, these violent elements have re-organized themselves under the shadow of the military regime. They attack NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan every day. They conduct suicide attacks within Pakistan killing innocent people. On September 20, 2007, Al – Qaeda declared war on the Pakistan army. Military dictatorship has fueled extremism. A democratically elected government enjoying the support of the people can bring peace to the people of Pakistan and eliminate extremism. Eliminate terrorism by taking extremism off the radar screen of the region. I was the civilian female leader of a democratic Pakistan that invested political capital in the tribal areas that a military regime has failed to control. As Prime Minister I brought the rule of law and the fruits of development to the people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. My government broke up the international drug cartel’s militias that have now reasserted themselves under the Musharraf rule and are funding Al – Qaeda to have a narco-fiefdom. My Administration brought the authority of the government and the rule of law to FATA in the 1990s. And we can do it again. I would also add that as Prime Minister I took the necessary steps to close down political madrassas whose curriculum taught hatred and para-military terrorist techniques. I did this before they became a threat to the world community. I considered them a threat to the stability, security and progress of the people of Pakistan. It is only dictatorships which have used the Islamic card to legitimize their rule at the expense of the neglected people of Pakistan. Dictatorships, lacking a popular base, need the religious card, played in one shape or another, to justify their stranglehold on power. They need a crisis to obtain international support, both political and financial. Extremists have never been able to achieve more than 11% of the vote in a free election, and they will do worse, not better if free elections are held today. Dictatorship in Pakistan is not containing extremism, it is fueling. Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the free press. Each military dictatorship has undermined the independent judiciary by sacking of judges. In the last twenty years, my government is the only one which has neither removed a Chief Justice nor attacked the premises of the Supreme Court.”Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto expressing grave concerns about the political element in Musharraf’s party that presided over the rise of extremism and said, “Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan. The Musharraf regime has appointed extremists to head many of the mosques. For example the head cleric of the Red Mosque in Islamabad who led a mutiny in the summer of 2007 was appointed by the regime of General Musharraf. When he was caught smuggling weapons into Islamabad in 2004, he was released by the Minister of Religious Affairs. The same Minister has twice defended suicide attacks before a Pakistani audience while retracting them for the international community. When Pakistanis gather to pray on Friday in the mosques they are often subjected to long lectures by radical clerics appointed by the government even as the government claims publicly to be against extremism. The voices of moderation are exiled or imprisoned. The voices of extremism are protected. Moderate and centrist political parties, thriving human and political rights NGOs, the media, and progressive leadership within our security and intelligence agencies must be brought together to confront extremists who pose the greatest internal threat to Pakistan. This is a battle that can only successfully be waged in a democratic Pakistan by a legitimate government that enjoys the support of the people. This is a battle that I am prepared to wage, to lead and to win.”Regarding dialogue with General Musharraf, she said, “The goal of my dialogue with Musharraf has never been personal. The goal was always to ensure that there be fair and free elections in Pakistan, pursuant to the Constitution, supervised by a robust team of international monitors and observers, as quickly as possible. My goal was quite literally to save democracy in Pakistan, to give democracy a chance to nurture and grow and strengthen.”On the issue of presidential election in Pakistan, she said, “Once General Musharraf files his nomination papers, the PPP would decide whether it would resign from the present Parliament or whether it would boycott the elections. While the PPP would not vote for General Musharraf as President from this Parliament unless there is a constitutional amendment, it would not resign if he took the necessary steps to show that he was moving toward fair elections and a level-playing field. If General Musharraf will retire from the post of Army Chief by October 5 - given his pledge to retire before the year’s end; second seek national reconciliation by passing an immunity law for those parliamentarians not proven guilty in the last decade; and third repeal the ban on a twice elected prime minister seeking office — a law that he put into place contrary to the constitution; the PPP will notresign from the Assemblies. The Pakistan People’s Party is holding a meeting with its ARD allies to decide this issue on October 3. Civil unrest is what the extremists want. Anarchy and chaos suits them. The political element in Musharraf's party that presided over the rise ofextremism has worked with every Pakistani administration since my government was destabilized in 1996.”About the general elections in Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto said,“My Party and I seek fair, free and impartial elections to be held by an independent election commission under an interim government of national consensus. We want a level playing field for all candidates andparties. The Musharraf Election Commission has failed to give civil society and the opposition confidence.”Regarding her return home from exile, she said, “I chose Karachi as the city to return to because it is the city where the founder of Pakistan rests. Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah campaigned to create Pakistan as a democracy where all citizens would be equal irrespective of their race, their religion or their gender. I go to Karachi to rekindle the dream of Quaid e Azam for the people of Pakistan. My father gave his life standing up for Quaid e Azam’s dream of Pakistan. And so Karachi is full of symbolism for me. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan’s place in the community of democratic nations. I do not fear the extremists for I have put my fate in the hands of the people of Pakistan, and my faith in God.”
Beginning a new journey?
By Benazir Bhutto
the forces of moderation and democracy must, and will, prevail against extremism and dictatorship. I will not be intimidated. Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against its I board the plane that takes me home to Pakistan today, I carry with me a manuscript of a book. It is a treatise on the reconciliation of the values of Islam and the West and a prescription for a moderate, modern Islam that marginalizes extremists, returns the military from politics to their barracks, treats all citizens and especially women equally and selects its leaders by free and fair elections. To me this is not just a book but a campaign manifesto, a guide to governing. If the people of Pakistan honour me again with an opportunity to lead, I intend to practice what I preach and to make Pakistan a positive model to one billion Muslims around the world for our future. For 60 years my nation has lurched between dictatorships and democracy. Pakistan has been stifled by political oppression and economic stagnation. For almost a decade we have been ruled by a military dictatorship. For the past five years we have been challenged by an international terrorism movement that seems to have the tribal areas of Pakistan at its very epicenter. These are not ordinary times, and they require extraordinary solutions. Over the past few months I have negotiated with General Pervez Musharraf to ensure a transition to democracy and to mobilize the moderate middle of our society to confront and contain fanatics and extremists. It has been difficult, made more so by the resistance of many who now enjoy power in Pakistan to accepting a democratic alternative. But the long discussions have borne some fruit. In September General Musharraf promised to Pakistan’s Supreme Court to retire from the post of Army Chief before taking the oath of office for President for a new term. This month the government of Pakistan announced confidence-building measures to pave the way for a legitimate, accountable Parliament. It is not a perfect agreement, but it is an important beginning, bringing reform and political change closer without the chaos and bloodshed under which extremism and militancy thrive. The supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda have threatened my assassination. The Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has said that his terrorists will “welcome” me on my return. And the men behind Al Qaeda have tried to assassinate me twice before. The Pakistan People’s Party and I represent everything they fear the most — moderation, democracy, equality for women, information and technology. We represent the future, a future that has no place in it for ignorance, intolerance and terrorism. The forces of moderation and democracy must, and will, prevail against extremism and dictatorship. I will not be intimidated. I will step out on the tarmac in Karachi in a few hours not to complete a journey, but to begin one. Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against it.Benazir Bhutto is twice former prime minister of Pakistan. As you read this, she has already landed in Karachi where large crowds had gathered to greet her. This piece appeared in The Times of London yesterday to sync with her landing in Karachi
the forces of moderation and democracy must, and will, prevail against extremism and dictatorship. I will not be intimidated. Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against its I board the plane that takes me home to Pakistan today, I carry with me a manuscript of a book. It is a treatise on the reconciliation of the values of Islam and the West and a prescription for a moderate, modern Islam that marginalizes extremists, returns the military from politics to their barracks, treats all citizens and especially women equally and selects its leaders by free and fair elections. To me this is not just a book but a campaign manifesto, a guide to governing. If the people of Pakistan honour me again with an opportunity to lead, I intend to practice what I preach and to make Pakistan a positive model to one billion Muslims around the world for our future. For 60 years my nation has lurched between dictatorships and democracy. Pakistan has been stifled by political oppression and economic stagnation. For almost a decade we have been ruled by a military dictatorship. For the past five years we have been challenged by an international terrorism movement that seems to have the tribal areas of Pakistan at its very epicenter. These are not ordinary times, and they require extraordinary solutions. Over the past few months I have negotiated with General Pervez Musharraf to ensure a transition to democracy and to mobilize the moderate middle of our society to confront and contain fanatics and extremists. It has been difficult, made more so by the resistance of many who now enjoy power in Pakistan to accepting a democratic alternative. But the long discussions have borne some fruit. In September General Musharraf promised to Pakistan’s Supreme Court to retire from the post of Army Chief before taking the oath of office for President for a new term. This month the government of Pakistan announced confidence-building measures to pave the way for a legitimate, accountable Parliament. It is not a perfect agreement, but it is an important beginning, bringing reform and political change closer without the chaos and bloodshed under which extremism and militancy thrive. The supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda have threatened my assassination. The Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has said that his terrorists will “welcome” me on my return. And the men behind Al Qaeda have tried to assassinate me twice before. The Pakistan People’s Party and I represent everything they fear the most — moderation, democracy, equality for women, information and technology. We represent the future, a future that has no place in it for ignorance, intolerance and terrorism. The forces of moderation and democracy must, and will, prevail against extremism and dictatorship. I will not be intimidated. I will step out on the tarmac in Karachi in a few hours not to complete a journey, but to begin one. Despite threats of death, I will not acquiesce to tyranny, but rather lead the fight against it.Benazir Bhutto is twice former prime minister of Pakistan. As you read this, she has already landed in Karachi where large crowds had gathered to greet her. This piece appeared in The Times of London yesterday to sync with her landing in Karachi
muhtarma Benazir Bhutto poetry
When the world was still to be bornWhen Adam was still to receive his form Then my relationship began When I heard the Lord's voice A voice sweet and clear I said "yes" with all my heart And formed a bond with the land I love When all of us were one My bond then began An exile now by destiny I am nearer home than the bear of my heart I wonder: when will I be free To return to Larkana From dust to dust Loved ones return To what they were When will I walk home from Arab lands To my own sweet Motherland. Waiting for news in dreams and day Waiting for messengers in dreams and day When will the message come Taking me from here to there I want the answer to my heart I want to pass God's test Strands of white my hair now shows My face is gaunt with sadness I to my people want to go I came in the winter of repression I pray to return in better times Like the joy of a seasonal rain The peoples support I will reclaim. Almighty God, Let Mother’s sickness not worsen in exile Trapped in a mind wanting to forget A heart weeping for young sons killed O let Mother first her homeland see O where is my husband gone? His life's prime and his grace? Prison Walls confine him Court rooms frustrate him Judges are frightened Courage has fled Salaries are more important Than honour for which men gave lives Each day I smile for the world, For my children and my self They ask: when can we return? I speak of justice fled From hearts of men Into the breasts of beasts I think of the poor people They deserve a better fateThan the military conqueror's boots The sweet lands lie parched For water people pray The crops perish The cattle die The stoves grow cold As labour is sent homeYet the lust for land grows Plazas and Plots for the elite lotGovernment homes tooNot one but twoAll on starving backs of people robbedFair Pakistan's face is blotted Mug shots and finger prints are demanded Worshippers live in fear and dread Tenants are ejected Soldiers in snows abandoned The poets in the mountains and the deserts Speak of another time When the country and the individual had respect Before the Benazir Government left Students study with faces drawnWondering when they will be freeOf the fear of unemployment and povertyTheir jobs retired military favourites takeOne pension is too little for some One state, two jobs, two salaries and two pensionsFor retired Khaki specials Democracy is for those in MuftiDictatorship the dream of Generals in KhakiThe British left last century Their space the Khaki filled The Father died too quickly In an ambulance in Karachi One day the tyrants will depart Public opinion will set us free There will be dancing in the streets, Music and song As people rejoice in their destiny Larkana, Loved-one, I remember The sweet scent of roses Of fresh rain on desert sand Of trees washed by nature's hand Away I live in a mansion grand But I long to campaign On rocky roads In bumpy jeep rides With flags and banners With selfless zeal to change The sad present Into a smiling future I want to breathe the breath Of home, a breath both fair and fine My spirit is in one place My body in another My mind torn asunder The Elections were so Unfair Made of Broken Promises Billions spent in marketing A dictatorship as a democracy That too unsuccessfully. The European Union called Foul So did the Office of the Commonwealth Boxes were filled Ballots torn Peoples verdict shorn By cowards masquerading as patriots The presidential palace is ugly In a land with widespread poverty Parliament has yet to dress itself With Constitutional powerThe phoenix rises from the ashes Peoples Power will be born again I will build for the children of the poorCentres of learning Provide the aged and the young Dignity, hope and security We will raise buildings Where there are deserts And stop the weeping of the women of the land Cry not These days of despots will soon go Just as other despots did Memory forever recalls Quaid e Awam The sword of truth Who gave his life So we could live With legal rights and economic security With knowledge and Opportunity With representation and success With peace and with progress His name will forever shine Who can forget him That historical memory embraces Forever in its folds. He who wore threads of fine gold Tore them for prison cells He who slept in silken sheets and fed with silver spoons Threw them aside for the darkness of the death cell The rulers offer comfort In return they demand conscience Don't offer comfort To history's children To the brave and the bold The Kurds fought for decades The Kashmiris do too The Palestinians refused to surrender In every continent In every era The brave and the bold Carved history with their bare hands One has might The other right One has the sword The other the pen Guns rust and fall apart Ideas live forever Tyrant: do not offer comfort Comfort leaves me cold Much dearer do I hold Marvi's ancestral shawl Symbol of our Treasure From Marvi I learnt From past mystic saints From my dear brother Shah I learnt That handsome youth who fought another tyrant That Were I to breathe my last, living Away from the home I loved My body won’t imprison me. Shah returned home while his soul went free No stranger to the soil Embracing his body in death Making it part of the legends of our land When his last breath came We carried him to the hidden coolness of the desert sand Pride and sadness mixed in our hearts Swaying emotions Knowing that his life was given For a clear cause of liberation From a Dictator’s occupation We buried him lovingly In the land that was his In a sea of people That loved him For his life And for his death Killed: and yet the struggle lived The cranes fly to their native hills My heart longs to fly with them Invisible chains Hold me prisoner The wounds of the past Fester again As I see people denied rights Denied opportunities Youth looking for hope Democracy separated from the polity Dictatorship cuts cruelly to the bone Undermining the economy Undermining the society Introducing suicide Economic suicide for those too poor to live Political suicide for asymmetric warfare Joy left when the stove turned cold Joy fled when the church and hospital blew Some sent messages To forget about politics To leave the people To find happiness They thought it foolish That the weight of persecution Could be borne With a Mother ill And children small With the pain of exile Of a husband separated by prison walls. They thought it generous To offer freedom for abandonment The abandonment of a people, of a land Of a struggle, of a dream Of principles and of conscience I thought it wrong I know I will return On a wave of peoples support Led by the bravest Party of them all A Party of martyrs A Party of struggle A Party that serves A Party of the people My enemies wish I never was born For them it was a torture and a shame That I became The first woman leader of a Muslim State Crumbling centuries of control Triumphantly proclaiming The equality of men and women The pristine message of Islam Hidden under prejudice and discrimination Destiny's hand moves on Writing its own tale Of triumph and tragedies, Of wars and peace, Of bombs pulverising houses Above the stench of death Life begins again The tide of sorrow turns The sea of happiness awaits The patient pray and persevere Loved ones parted meet Prisoners are freed Fresh ones take their places Or flee Destiny's moving finger writes on Seasons change Realities change The rest is a test Better a life of test Than a worthless life of rest The land reclaims its own When the dead die They live again Becoming part of a land Centuries old Holding secrets Of great civilisations Of heroes and heroines of bygone times Shaping history and heritage Shaping culture Shaping the future Time begins Time ends We decide What to do with time Remember the poor and the wretched Remember the desperate and the hopeful Remember God's sacred trust The children of the land Do not let your conscience die For Power and Pride The scent of the homeland Wafts through the ocean air Through continents Its insistent call A reverberating sound Through sunset and dawn Calling Through walls Calling Through mountains Seeking to reclaim Its own To my dear ones I say Worry not Shed no tears Bear no regrets These days will pass After night comes day After sorrow comes joy The daughters of the desert know That Destiny Cannot Chain The dream of a people free Where human rights And economic rights Break the prisons of poverty Break the dungeons of disease The repression of retrenchment The despair of downsizing The evil of unemployment Prisons hold Those that defy dictators Those that pay the price for freedom Knowing the chains holding liberty will break That the desert men Will write of desert courage Of integrity, loyalty and unity Baptised in suffering That a desert maid Will return home Hear the wind It carries the message: Of dictators that came and went Of tyrants now particles in the sands of times How many armies came and went How much blood was shed Conquests proclaimed Kingdoms fell; Tyrants too The desert sands speak The desert winds whisper Truth will triumph The desert maid will return Travellers travel bringing news Of political developments, I hear of miseries Of families without income Of fear of hunger I hear And my own suffering retreats Days pass Life passes I am shackled To the dream of democracy Unhappy are the days Far from Malir and Multan Far from Mardan and Makran My countrymen are far No one can reproach them For they stand strong As the October elections showed One day I will recall these days And forget the pain One day I will recall these days When political storms roared When thundering threats filled the air One day I will recall these days Knowing my commitment to my land Was purified and sustained. I think of those exiled from their homelands In Los Angeles, London, Dubai Of the days they pass Some in despair, Some in frustration Some with determination The seasons change My face with them Theirs too Will my fellow villagers recognise A face Reflecting the seasons of fate Night falls The world sleeps Darkness fills the air I raise both my hands And ask my children To raise their little hands Marvi, of Maru and Malir, In the mists of time She raised her hands While the world slept To God Full of hope Praying to see her homeland Marvi, We raise our hands As you raised yours To God In hope For the homeland I was born in Buried my Father Buried my brother Married Had my children Served a Nation Helped a people Without telephone or electricity Computers or emails Polio drops or iodine Enter the modern age But the bullets were firedPiercing my tall and handsome Brother His precious blood on the pavement fellWhere once we walkedThe angels cameAnd took him away To my Father and my BrotherAs the Martyrs watchedIn July we metHis warm embrace I recallIn the chandeliered Prime Minister's HallHis special goodbye as he leftHis voice on the phoneWhen we talkedAs family members doThe phone cameIt spoke of bullets firedOf Murtaza woundedI took a planeWith Holy Book in HandTo the Hospital where he layGod, do not take The brother that I loveIt was too lateHe was goneAgain I buried a brother The killers buried the GovernmentHusband was imprisoned Tiny children exiled With ailing grandmother Midnight raids and imprisonmentTorture and terrorPerjury and PerversionBillions spent on false casesOn propagandaPsy war and special operationsOn a MotherCourts calliberatedWith different ordersCaught flights dailyFrom one to the otherLahore to RawalpindiThen to KarachiThe persecutors fellIn divine retributionThe military marched InHear the windIt carries the soundOf horses that gallopedOf caravans that cameOf tanks that rumbledOf planes that flewBefore the torch of timeWas passedAs history's pendulum swungThe desert wind calls Marvi calls A timeless call A call The desert wind carries. Children: Hear the desert wind Hear it whisper Have faith we will win.
Monday, December 31, 2007
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.
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