March Events Ignite Hope of Change in Pakistan

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(Photo: New PPP speaker of Parliament, Dr. Fehmida Mirza)

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In his historic play Julius Caesar Shakespeare uses Ides of March to warn the Roman Emperor the fate that was in store for him. And ever since ides of March is used as a precursor to events of far-reaching consequences. In case of Pakistan’s history too this month has great significance on various counts. First and foremost, the Muslims in the sub-continent decided to seek and establish a separate independent homeland through a resolution adopted by All-India Muslim League on March 23, 1940 under the dynamic leadership of the Quaid. And it was an astounding achievement—entirely to the credit of Mr Jinnah—that within seven years Pakistan was carved out of the Indian sub-continent to be a secular Muslim state to ensure freedom and equality to all its citizens—irrespective of their caste, creed or colour.

It is regretfully stated that his vision was distorted by self-conceited power troika comprising of the military, civil and judicial bureaucracy in league with the Mullahs who had opposed Mr Jinnah and Pakistan. His secular ideology was replaced with a so-called Nazaria Pakistan by which Pakistan was in the time to become a theocratic state. Pakistan’s slide today under Musharraf has brought the country to such a pass that it has almost become a failed state on the verge of meeting the fate of Yugoslavia.

March has once again placed Pakistan face to face with an opportunity not only save the country but to translate into reality Mr Jinnah’s dream. On March 17 the nation proudly witnessed the coming into being of the elected National Assembly historically pitched to uproot the last vestiges of dictatorship and to usher in people’s democracy amidst stories that the usurper general has decided to run for his life seeking refuge in countries that he had served better than Pakistan. On March 19 Pakistan became yet another first—thanks to PPP—to elect a woman as the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto (S) had herself set the blaze by becoming the first ever woman prime minister in a Muslim country. And she would have indeed broken the record third time had she been not assassinated late last year. Highly competent and respected Dr Fahmida’s Mirza’s election as NA Speaker is yet another step forward towards empowerment of women—a mission pursued with religious conviction by Shaheed Mohtarma and her party PPP and its present leadership.

The PPP-PML(N)-ANP-JUI coalition that has been clobbered sagaciously by PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML(N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif—as a national consensus response– will have to face the insurmountable challenges of the dark legacy of Musharraf’s mismanagement, reign of loot and plunder during his long dictatorship in cahoots with the political scavengers.

The task before the Coalition is onerous. It will have to take certain decisions that shall make or mar Pakistan’s future. Immediately it shall have to provide instant relief to the poor who cannot make their sustenance possible because of Musharraf-Shaukat Aziz pursued economic policies that made the rich richer and poor poorer. And along with that, they shall have to mobilise the nation to fight terrorism through a battle that would mostly require winning the hearts and minds of the tribal people who have been abused by Musharraf as the villain of the piece for blackmailing the Americans and the West that without him they cannot fight the menace. He has successfully made them believe him that he is solver of the problem and not part of the problem as is perceived by almost the entire nation. Obviously the crucial issue regarding the restoration of judiciary is also important. Hopefully it will be resolved in a manner not only the snake is killed but also the power and majesty of the Parliament remains unchallenged.

In politics a week is a long time especially when you have a megalomaniac in power who would go to any end for his own survival. Although not much time is left for the transfer of power to the elected representatives of the people, one however feels apprehensive of the proverbial slip between the cup and the lips. Reports are that he is trying his best to re-play 2002 again and break the grand coalition to bring in a gang of power scavengers through the back door. He is at it in raising an old hand as his Quisling in PPP. Unlike 2002 when he was both President and the Army Chief, now denuded of his military uniform he is a toothless wolf who can only bark but cannot bite. Whatever—one must not under-estimate the enemy. The best response to his machinations is to remain united and vigilant to collectively counter all his spanners in the wheels that will move us onto a sound democratic future.

Notwithstanding the fact that we have a new National Assembly in action, we are likely to have more changes of far-reaching consequences. Before I revert back to issues of presence I would like to mention about another event that played a historic role in the shaping of Pakistani politics. It was, indeed, a historic coincidence that on March 23,1929 Isphanis of Karachi were gifted a daughter—Nusrat Khanum—who was chosen by destiny to be the great woman behind two great leaders of our time–Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

Today she suffers in silence– unaware of horrendous assassination of her dearest daughter Benzir Bhutto and the threats of extinction that her Pakistan faces. When I saw her briefly last time Begum Nusrat Bhutto’s (March 23 is her 79th birthday) gaze is stuck on the horizon. I could not read her mind. Though she appeared overly blank, her beautiful mien retains its noble grace—is full of tales that catalogue not only her eventful and yet tragic life and crimes of undemocratic rulers that have scarred the pristine face of her country.

An Iranian Kurd by origin– her ancestry leading to the legendary Salahuddin Ayubi—I have known Begum Bhutto to be a person surfeit with compassion, dauntless determination and courage. And her dynamism, love and care for humanity blossomed her into a leading light among young women of her time. Among many other qualities that make a perfect human being, she passed this quality of compassion and care for the needy into her daughter Benazir. She would strive, seek and not yield at all challenging times.

As a member of the Women’s National Guard she carried out personally the relief operation to provide shelter and succour to the millions of the uprooted refugees at a time when Pakistan had no resources. At that hour of crisis, she stood tall among the tallest of ladies that had plunged themselves in one of the biggest relief operations ever undertaken. She showed rare qualities of leadership and selfless service that inspired others and strengthened young nation’s will to survive despite the odds—a fact recognised and acknowledged by both Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and Begum Liaquat Ali Khan.

Begum Bhutto was born in wealthy and culturally rich Iranian business family whose ancestors had settled in Karachi. And being a lady of sterling qualities of both head and heart as she was, she found her match in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Karachi. Her marriage to ZAB was also a great turning point in his life. Though himself a highly qualified and richly endowed scion of an illustrious parentage and heritage, stability at home provided to him by Begum Sahiba, enabled him to harness his energies and knowledge in the service of the nation onto pastures new to the last drop of his blood. While he made his mark as Pakistan’s representative to the UN as a young lawyer, his wife stood behind as a rock, through thick and thin—to see him travel rapidly in the realms of one success after the other. He was no doubt a great man in the making and the woman behind him was Begum Bhutto.

When he became youngest member of Ayub Khan’s cabinet—a position that he held—handling successfully different important portfolios—until he resigned as Foreign Minister, his capable wife acquitted admirably well the responsibilities of bringing up their four children—Benazir, Murtaza, Sanam and Shahnawaz and also the role of playing a perfect hostess. Since good bearing was in their blood and top priority fixed for them by their father was acquisition of high quality education, it fell on the shoulders of Begum Bhutto to bring the children in such a manner that it should do Bhutto heritage a proud. Despite the fact that as the wife of Pakistan’s foreign minister she had to travel with him far and wide and host various functions, she did not allow any strain on her responsibilities as a perfect mother. Her total devotion in bringing up the children is perhaps the reason that all of their off-springs were highly educated.

The true strength and greatness of character—manifested itself when her husband broke away with President Ayub Khan and formed his own party– Pakistan’s People’s Party– as harbinger of change and empowerment of the people. Once he took on Ayub, the military dictator unleashed his hounds on him, incarcerated him and persecuted him to no ends. Begum Bhutto kept alighted the flame of her husband’s struggle for democracy.

Begum Bhutto, however, gave her best when ZAB was removed in 1977 coup by General Ziaul Haq. She lead the people and kept ignited their democratic aspirations when her husband was incarcerated facing a concocted murder charge. Though she was not alone this time as her equally talented and gifted daughter Benazir Bhutto was with her, she nominated by ZAB as the party chairperson in his absence, kept the party flag high in defiance of a ruthless martial law and state oppression to the extent that she received a head injury in the baton charge by Zia’s thugs. And this head wound—having not allowed its proper and timely treatment– had an ever lasting injurious effect on her to the extent that it has gradually disabled her. Despite that she has shown tremendous forbearance and tenacity.

The revenge of the Pakistani people as manifested in the electoral victory of PPP under her daughter Benazir’s leadership in late 1988 and in 1993 and now under the worst possible manipulations and rigging by the successive unrepresentative rulers and the continued support of the masses to PPP—are the fruits of the selfless devotion of Bhuttos to the people and the overwhelming confidence they enjoy among the masses.

Twice Begum Bhutto was elected member of the National Assembly, remained a senior minister and also a constant source of inspiration for her daughter Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, masses and PPP workers especially. She has done proud to the country by representing Pakistan at various international forums and her contribution as the Chairperson of the Red Crescent had gone a long way in improving the country’s image. She has also received various international awards for her immense contribution to the greatest good of the largest number especially workers, women and children. I hope PPP under new leadership would continue the mission of SZAB, SMBB and Begum Nusrat Bhutto and do them proud by empowering the people—especially women and the minorities– and bettering the miserable lot of downtrodden and exploited poor.

w.hasan@virgin.net

Wajid Shumusl Hasan is Pakistan’s ex High Commissioner at UK.