Why Benazir Bhutto was killed, is more important question than who killed her? Perhaps, she was the last most powerful political leader, who represented liberal and progressive voices at national and international level. Though assassinated 10 years back on Dec 27, 2007, she had never been accepted by the ruling elite and an extremist mindset from the day she arrived in Pakistan on April 10, 1986.
Space has now shrunk for liberal or progressive politics and Bilawal Bhutto has a far more challenging task than her mother and grandfather had. While her murder would remain a mystery and is unlikely to be resolved, we may find an answer as to why she became such a big ‘threat’ for the state and non-state actors.
From the day she arrived in Pakistan on April 10, 1986, in Lahore, ending her long exile, she took Pakistani politics by storm and never looked back. The unprecedented reception she got threatened the then military ruler, the late General Ziaul Haq. Some 21 years later, when she again arrived in Pakistan on Oct 18, 2007, ending her second exile, she become a threat to yet another military dictator, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
In 1986, when former premier Mohammad Khan Junejo allowed Benazir to return, his relationship with General Zia got tense as the general had brought Junejo as PM from Sindh with a purpose to cool down the sentiments of Sindhis, who were angry over Bhutto’s execution and blamed Punjab-led establishment, responsible. Return of BB, refreshed people’s memories of her father, something which Zia never wanted.
Some of the former colleagues of Zia disclosed that he feared her return would be a step towards revival of political parties and the PPP could sweep the polls. She was getting huge response during her travel from one city to another and that too by road. Despite 1985, elections on ‘non-party basis,’ he could not break major political parties particularly the PPP.
Therefore, Zia and his team worked on a counter plan. On May 28, 1988, when Gen Zia dismissed Junejo’s government and dissolved the assemblies, he did not announce elections. On the contrary, he was advised by some of his right-wing friends including some in the media to enforce Shariah, something he tried earlier. By 1988, his relationship with his one-time ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, got tense after he banned student unions in 1984 and refused to revive it.
In another bid to counter the PPP, he promoted and encouraged ethnic politics in Sindh and further created gulf between rural and urban Sindh, to create problems for Benazir Bhutto. Another issue which always remained problematic for Benazir and was exploited by a typical mindset was the question of ‘woman’ as head of the government in an Islamic country. Some clerics were also used to issue a fatwa, on this question and some parties were also used.
Former ISI chief, the late Lt-Gen Hameed Gul, once told this writer in an interview that she was not acceptable to the establishment. He said, “The general perception within the military establishment was that she could be vindictive against those generals, who had the role in her father’s execution and secondly, some were not ready to accept her as prime minister.”
While Gul himself admitted that she proved him wrong with her conduct and approach and also regretted on forming an Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) to prevent her in getting two-thirds majority, but said the right wing alliance were opposed to accepting ‘woman as head of the government’. “The IJI was my brainchild and the purpose was to dilute her support after we were getting reports of unprecedented response she was getting. But, when I met her, I found her a true nationalist leader with zero vindictiveness against those whom she believed had the hand in her father’s hanging,” he said.
When Gen Zia removed his hand-picked Junejo on May 28, 1988 and dissolved the assemblies, he was very clear that he would never allow Benazir to succeed. After Zia’s death in a mysterious plane crash on Aug 17, 1988, the then army chief, Gen (retd) Aslam Baig had the option to impose martial law, but the consensus was to go ahead with the elections in 90 days. Writing was on the wall, and there was hardly anyone who had not predicted victory for the PPP. But, she was never accepted and it took almost two weeks before she was nominated as the PM, during which she was forced to accept certain conditions.
She was never allowed to settle down even as a compromised PM. Within a year, a conspiracy was hatched to remove her through a vote of no-confidence in 1989. Events which unfolded after sacking of her first government revealed that intelligence report again suggested the PPP victory in 1990 polls. Thus, once again in a bid to stop her, the establishment backed combined opposition party alliance was formed and the famous Mehran Bank scam surfaced. Years later, the Supreme Court declared 1990 elections as rigged and that money was distributed among the opposition leaders to defeat Benazir.
But, even establishment backed the government of former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif become critical and was finally ousted within 28 months in 1993. Even when Supreme Court restored his government, Ghulam Ishaq Khan refused to accept him and thus General Waheed Kakar formula was invoked under which fresh elections were called and GIK stepped down.
Benazir again won the elections, but by now Nawaz Sharif was able to make PML-N a powerful opposition and consolidated his position in Punjab. This time, Benazir despite being able to get his man as president, Sardar Farooq Ahmad Leghari, the hidden forces used her brother, Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who suddenly announced his return before the 1993 elections.
This time, the ‘House of Bhutto’ got divided and though Mir failed in getting any major electoral support, the problem for Benazir aggravated as she found herself in a difficult position in counter attack to Murtaza. Her Sindh government, led by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, because of the respect of Bhutto’s son, could not do much. Within three years, she came across one of the most embarrassing situations when on Sept 20, 1996, her own brother was killed in a most controversial encounter. Benazir was shocked because it was her standing orders that Murtaza should not be touched as she was trying for a patch-up with him and they were very near to reaching an agreement.
Her government was dismissed and husband Asif Ali Zardari was arrested in the case. Nawaz Sharif again became prime minister. This time, with two-thirds majority and the PPP seats reduced to 18, which many still believe was all manipulated, in a bid to confine BB to Sindh. After General Pervez Musharraf overthrew Nawaz Sharif’s government on Oct 12, 1999, Benazir issued a statement, and though she did not condemn the takeover, she demanded immediate elections.
Musharraf had other plans and he made it clear that he would not allow return of both Sharif and BB, in politics. While he sent Sharif and family in exile through a deal in 2000, his establishment also ensured BB’s disqualification in 2002 elections and his handpicked Election Commission disqualified her. Yet, the PPP emerged as single largest party and was about to form a government, but Musharraf divided the PPP and formed the PPP-Patriot.
The ouster of both BB and Nawaz Sharif, brought them closer to each other and they soon realised and admitted that the successive establishments had used them against each other. It took four years to reach historic Charter of Democracy (CoD) pact in 2006.
The CoD was the major setback for those forces which for years had used Nawaz Sharif against Benazir. Both decided to support each other.
Benazir, despite the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) with Gen Musharraf, refused to follow his advice about not returning to country before elections.
She broke the NRO agreement and returned to the country on Oct 18, 2007 and the massive twin suicide attack on her huge procession in Karachi, was the first serious attempt on her life. The understanding between Sharif and BB, was a major victory for political forces, but the setback for those forces who never wanted Benazir as Prime Minister as intelligence reports regarding 2007 elections again predicted PPP victory. This time she was physically removed, and since then the PPP could not recover till this day as her party observed her 10th death anniversary and her son, Bilawal Bhutto is trying hard to follow her legacy. She might have been killed by Taliban or al-Qaeda’s commanders despite the TTP leader Baitullah Mashud, denying that his group was involved.
Earlier, in 1993, an attempt was made to kill her when a bomb was defused near Bilawal House, the facts remains she had never been accepted by the extremist mindset, either within or outside the State.
The political battle is now between the centre to right or right to centre and in between the two the hardline religious groups also trying to find the space.
The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.
Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO
