“I WANT to see a prosperous, progressive and developed Pakistan.” These words of Benazir Bhutto reflect her vision and dream of Pakistan, though she is no more in our midst.

Today we pay rich tribute her on her 56th birthday. She inherited the wisdom, vision, commitment of her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and has no rival.

As a leader she had plenty of supporters, even when out of power. She always accepted the challenges thrown in her way, without fear of her life. After returning home from exile on Oct 18, 2007, she travelled all over the country and held public meetings.

She told the Afghan president hours before her assassination on Dec 27 that “life and death are in the hands of Almighty Allah”, and that she was not afraid of death.

History will always remember her for standing up against dictators. She was the voice of the downtrodden and the oppressed.

Among her many achievements for Pakistan are the missile technology for the country, Agosta submarine for the Navy, women's banks and women's police stations.

Also, women's affairs ministry was formed during her first tenure in 1988. She appointed women judges, as well as thousands of lady health visitors to minimise infant mortality, started a campaign to make the country polio-free.

She expanded the Port Qasim, Steel Mills and launched the Keti Bunder project, gave jobs to many an unemployed youth, lifted ban on student and labour unions and doubled the wages and salaries of the employees, made land reforms and provided lands to the landless, gave freedom to the media, and raised allocations for education, health, etc.

She believed in forgiving and forgetting, far from the politics of seeking any revenge. Tolerance was the hallmark of her political, moral and religious ethos.

HUMERA ALWANI

Sindh MPA Thatta

(II)

BENAZIR Bhutto symbolised resistance, courage and hope. Today she would have turned 56, but forces, yet to be uncovered, killed her on Dec 27, 2007.

Terrorists denied her many, many happy years of life. Her birth in Sindh's educated aristocrat family enabled her to receive the best possible education. Her father, a leader, politician and prime minister, would have done everything he could do for her dear daughter called Pinki.

An American friend was telling me that her Cuban mother hardly knew anything about Pakistan, but when the news of her murder spread, she called me late in the evening saying “they killed Bhutto...Benazir”. On hearing of Ms Bhutto's death, millions broke into tears, it was a death people were not willing to accept. Although Ms Bhutto started her political journey by following into the footsteps of her father, with the passage of time she carved a place for herself in the history of Pakistans democratic struggle.

In essence she was a social-democrat, strongly believing in the cause of the downtrodden. She never got enough time to implement the political philosophy that she had envisioned. She was twice removed unconstitutionally.

Two tenures in government had made it clear to her that 'political forces are too weak to confront state apparatus', These were some of the last words she uttered before going abroad on self-exile.

Despite knowing the dangers of Pakistans political disaster, she dared to take risk and died on way as an innocent child, charming, graceful, talented and lovely Pinki. She was larger than life and leaves behind a legacy of resistance, courage and hope. People would remember her as a woman political leader in Pakistans history unmatched.

MUSHTAQUE RAJPAR

Karachi