THE lapse of 17 years has not dimmed the sense of loss the people felt at the shocking assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi. Had she been alive today, the political scenario would have been entirely different as she was an intelligent, astute and decent politician who kept her distance from petty prejudices.

Despite serious threats to her life, she had bravely returned to her homeland because, in her own words, “the future of my country was greater”.

As a champion of human rights as well as democracy, she was respected all over the world. The United Nations General Assembly had conferred upon her the prestigious UN Human Rights Award posthumously.

The same was the case with the Tipperary International Peace Award. It is ironic that while the world honours and acknowledges the talents of rare Pakistanis, we ourselves hound, persecute and assassinate them for political reasons and petty prejudices.

Benazir could have chosen a life of luxury, peace and harmony, but the plight of the poor and the rule of dictatorship in the country did not allow her to rest and relax. She chose to tread the rough, tough and thorny path.

She firmly believed that the poor, the dispossessed and the have-nots were her constituency.

The affluent class may not have liked Benazir, but the poor would always love and adore her as a great leader. She was, indeed, unique and matchless.

Inayat Balouch
Khairpur Mirs

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2024