Preview of Looming Democracy - Two Months of PPP in the Limelight

"in fact the real surprise is why she survived her trip to, what’s that cliché - the “Switzerland” of Pakistan?"(author)

Indeed a 'real surprise' -- It should also tell you right there as to who did it -- shouldn't it?

The rest of the article is pure MQM -- the kettle complaining about the pot!

[Thankfully, only nameless, faceless, ordinary, and innocent people were killed and injured in the explosions.]


pakis love their leaders, despite getting shafted by them...

i am told that when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged, thousands of Pakistanis wept in the streets, despite an iron grip on the media and public gatherings by dictator Zia. This despite the fact that Bhutto was the most responsible of the political leaders in the dismembering of Pakistan barely 8 years earlier - yet his "martyrdom" warms up millions of Pakistanis to this day...

Then 9 years later, dictator zia died in plane crash. I am told that millions of pakistanis wept openly over his "martyrdom". His burial was televised live and the newscasters wept too as they made their running commentary on events of burial. This despite the fact that Zia had administered perhaps the most repressive regime in Pakistan's history.

Now 18 years later, Benazir is dead. Millions of Pakistanis wept again for this new "martyrdom". If you were to watch the media, she comes across as nothing less than a saint. Yet she ruled Pakistan with a feudal aloofness, and administered perhaps the most corrupt regime in pakistan's history. And more importantly, she promised foreign powers that she would bomb her own people even more ruthlessly than the current dictator, while handing over citizens to foreign powers at a higher rate. Yet, pictures of ordinary pakistanis weeping in streets are all over the media.

It is hard to believe at this time, but I suspect that if Musharraf's plane were to fall off the sky tomorrow, Pakistanis will weep again over his "martyrdom"

I have this feeling that Pakistanis weep, not for their departed leaders, but for themselves and their hopelessness. These ordinary no-name pakistanis, who come out in the street in support of their leaders and get beaten and killed by police, have the least to gain if that leader were to come to power. Yet these leaders, military and feudal, who rule pakistanis with utter disdain and arrogance while living luxurious life, get to secure "martyrdom" too.

Re the violence against non-Sindhis (not only Urdu-speaking mind you) was an unfortunate but expected reaction.

Even before the violence had begun, Aitezaz Ahsan was saying to GEO in a broken voice that Punjab will have a tremendous responsibility in soothing Sindh's feelings because it is the second of their Prime Ministers whom Punjab has sent in a box to them in the dark of the night in a C-130.

And today the news is they cut all his phone lines after that comment.

But it will settle down. Believe me, Punjab is grieving as much as Sindh.

Thanks Salim for the article.

You know, Benazir's sad depaerture from the scene may actually be a good thing for PPP.

Many of PPP's best people left only because of her rude and insulting arrogance, bad temper, wheeling/dealing with the army, corruption - all betrayal of the great ZA Bhutto's legacy.

Above factors were also the main reason for the rest of the political parties not willing to reconcile with her.

All the abover were her 'personal' traits/policies for her own self-interest, which now is no more.

I think PPP will come out of this stronger than before, which is good for the country. The grassroots support which PPP has, no other part does ... and it is all because of ZAB, not Benazir. All she had done it was to damage it in rest of the country except Sind. The ZAB vote bank was much larger than what Benazir has left behind.

I hope there's nothing insensitive in saying the above. It's the truth.

Salim Sahib,

Not your greatest moments. You cannot look at PPP or any other entity in isolation, they all represent the same structure with different names. If PPP was disorganized, so was the Govt that has demonstrated its utter and complete incompetence pre and post BB murder. Or, maybe we need more elections before we get some elctoral maturity.

[[Now that the charismatic, brave, and attractive leader has been buried,]]]
Salim mian
That's exactly what I feel now....We Pakistanis are so very unfortunate that whenever we have some really competent leader for us we don't value it, and when that person is gone we cry out loud and trust me I am same way, not very much different than the rest of the Paki masses...

Teri yaad aai teray jaaniy keh baad......BB was such a precious thing for me that I still remember when I was in 6th grade, I started collecting her photos of her childhood and I was her blind disciple and I was blind in her love and used to worship her with all my heart and soul , then I saw here being throned as PM twice, that was the era I got disappointed on her performance, but, I guess she was not given the complete power and another factor was her own bastard husband, but, time has proved, Asif Zardari is less of a bastard than this bastard Mushy and bastard Zia along qwith bastard Ayub Khan and Yahah Khan...All these army bastards are the real evils and culprits of People of Pakistan and these army monsters are the reason that pakistan is still the pooerest country in the world.....

Anyway, last word for BB..

BB, my dear BB
I am so very shameful of betraying you and being in your opposition for only two years of my life...My feelings for you are now more stronger than ever,

I always loved you and will always do......I didn't realize the value of your presence till you're gone...
I didn't realize what pakistanis got in your form till you're gone......

I guess I'll be crying with this loss for the rest of my life......