With Kasuri’s murder case in its early stages in the Lahore High Court, a number of predictions and forecasts were being made. Not all of them were based on a sober reading of political events, but by reading signs, portents and the stars.

It was more so; Bhutto, it is said, believed in such disciplines; in astrology and palmistry. Not even his closest friends like Piloo Modi and Omar Qureshi could say what made him believe in such things. It is owing to his belief in spirituality that, during his tenure as prime minister, he got a golden minaret fixed on the dome of Shahbaz Qalandar’s mausoleum at Sehwan. Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto shared his attachment for shrines and saints. Benazir herself apparently believed in astrology and was interested in knowing her future; and sought blessings from many pirs and saintly persons.

On the night of Sept 15, 1976 an unusual meeting of Bhutto’s inner cabinet comprising Maulana Kauser Niazi, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada and Rafi Raza had been held, wherein it was decided to hold elections on March 7, 1977 — a year before the scheduled election date. This was a difficult decision, but Bhutto thought that since the opposition was in disarray, it was an opportune time to go for the mid-term polls. On Jan 7, 1977 Bhutto himself announced on the National Assembly floor that elections will be held on March 7.

Had Bhutto been told what his hand said he might have tried to change a few things; but then who can defy fate?

During those days, a PPP leader Piyar Ali Allana, considered an expert palmist, had become close to Bhutto. He was also said to have a close friendship with a renowned Sri Lankan astrologist. When the thought of holding mid-term polls struck Bhutto, the minister was sent to Sri Lanka to seek an opinion about the date — March 7— and its suitability in the light of astrology. Allana visited the island nation and returned with the happy news that it was a very auspicious date.

After that Bhutto asked his personal friend and former chief minister of Punjab Hanif Ramay to get his palm impression studied by M.A. Malik, the world-renowned palmist who lived in London and boasted of a large clientele. Much later Malik claimed that he studied the hand but out of some reservations did not reveal everything he had gathered from the study.

A year later when Bhutto was facing legal proceedings in Kasuri’s murder case and was in Kot Lakhpat jail, Malik invited Kausar Niazi at his place and showing Bhutto’s hand print asked him what he understood about a line that rose from the head line and dropped into the life line with a small island. Maulana Niazi did not reply. Then Malik explained, “This man’s head would take him to the gallows.”

Maulana Niazi also mentions that when Bhutto visited Sri Lanka he told his host Mrs Bandranaiki that he was interested in meeting some prominent astrologers. The Lankan prime minister obliged and called in a team of astrologers. After studying the date of March 7, no one said what they had found, except for one elderly astrologer who said in a slow tone: “Now that you have announced the date what can we do?”

Following the murder case against Bhutto, Jan sahib wrote an article on Bhutto’s future as seen through astrology and in support drew a sketch of his study. This study said that Bhutto was sitting in a black house and cannot be rescued from there.

When Bhutto was facing the murder trial, Agha Ahad Jan, a former CSS officer was serving at the University of Sindh. He was a man of many virtues; a debater, a lawyer and an officer of unimpeachable character. He also had a deep interest in astrology. Jan sahib was serving as deputy commissioner of Karachi (at that time the city was one district and Agha was its deputy commissioner) in 1970 when the murder case of a former CSS officer and a prominent Urdu poet Mustafa Zaidi came up, and an application of bail was moved by Shahnaz Salim who was being held by the police as an accused. Zaidi’s body was found from Shahnaz’s house on Oct 12, 1970. Jan sahib after a two-day appearance in the court granted bail to the lady and for many weeks newspapers splashed stories on various aspects of the case. Since a number of visiting cards were found from the lady’s house, it had become a very interesting case for Zaidi’s family, newsmen and especially for the police.

Following the murder case against Bhutto, Jan sahib wrote an article on Bhutto’s future as seen through astrology and in support drew a sketch of his study. This study said that Bhutto was sitting in a black house and cannot be rescued from there. The article was printed in the weekly magazine Sindh Observer published from Hyderabad. The piece appeared to be quite interesting and drew the attention of many readers.

After Bhutto’s hanging on April 4, 1979, a team of army men from 13th Punjab Regiment stationed at Hyderabad visited the office of Sindh Observer and obtained a copy of the magazine bearing the study.

Many years later, an eminent astrologer, Dr Ahmad Farooqi, Dansville, CA wrote a lengthy article titled “The Enigmatic Bhutto” on May 15, 2011 for Astrology magazine. Mentioning the position of planets in Bhutto’s zodiac, he wrote that the dates coincided with the developments.

Next week: PPP leaders wait for a miracle shaikhaziz38@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 24th, 2014