The Last Moments of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Ignominious people meet an ignominious end.They should serve as a lesson for those who follow, but they rarely do.

With all his faults and flaws... he was a great man and a brave man. It is Pakistan`s misfortune that he was murdered through a judicially motivated trial.

Although it’s a very truly moving account of an individual’s last moments (it melted my heart for sure, especially the part about feigning sleep to prolong the inevitable) (and even though I did not have a very favorable opinion of the late Mr. Bhutto as a politician) – all an article like it can essentially accomplish is to highlight the frailty of a human being – the fear of impending death, and all that it brings along, including eventually a sense of resignation. Although this article may have some cathartic value for the original writer as an individual – I see little gain in putting it up for public consumption, since the pain and anguish to the immediate family member would be considerable! I hope the original writer ran it by those family members first!! If not, I feel very sorry for them. All that these family members had left was a shred of dignity (even illusionary) that Mr. Bhutto did not cower till the end, that he faced death stoically – now that’s also taken away!! Shame!!

Needless to say, I feel VERY outraged by how the moronic bureaucracy and army-cracy so callously goes about hanging a duly elected civilian leader. The passivity of the sub continental population is mind-boggling! Metallic automatons would be a vast improvement over those pathetic excuses for low-life creatures! People like Rafi were also a useless pawn in that lousy game. I know he was just one individual, but the machinery is only made from a whole bunch of little individuals like him! Such people are cursed to live with their haunting memories, and they know it!

I feel sorry for Col. Rafi and others like him!

If my memory serves me right he was convicted for having signed an order to ``Liquidate`` Nawab Mohd. Khan. and probably this was not the only individual he got liquidated.

And when he said ``Yahya is responsible for my hanging`` for a mopment I thought it was general yahya Khan who was taking his revenge for this vile man having misled him and egged him on for a confrontation with Mujib and India. Just like he misled Ayub in 65, he knew well that these stupid fools would self destruct and Mujib would be out of the way, leaving the way open for him.

He was always a demagogue talking of ``a thousand years of war`` etc. when the costs would be borne by others or when it would help make him popular, (political responsibility to hell with). While cunningly being the first to sue for peace when the tide turned.

How this man who declared Ahmediyas as non muslims is a great leader or chheered on his own countries self destruction beats me.

Instead of feling sympathy at his weakest moment, it would be wise to evluate the man on his actions in his strongest moments. its like feeling sorry for Advani or Modi before their executions and calling them great leaders.

Quite unfortunate for the people of Pakistan to lose such a leader..

I wonder what the condition of late zia ul haq was at that time. Bhutto was pale and couldn’t walk (as per col. rafi) and I’m sure zia’s condition would have been even worse.

Re: # 4

The flaws you point at are genuine and right. The debate about Bhutto has gone on ... and I am frankly not interested in pro-Bhutto anti-Bhutto posing...

However one thing all lawyers and judges I know of are convinced about is that the trial was a mockery of justice... did you know that you can`t cite the Bhutto case as a precedent in courts... or if you cite it its not persuasive...

About Ahmadis... indeed that was the greatest tragedy... for Pakistan`s most ardent patriots to be hounded the way they were...

Many years ago,I read a punjabi novel``Bandiwaan`` written by Fakhar Zamaan.It is about Bhutto,s days in prison and the torture-physical and mental; he received.Though Fakhar Zamaan is a well known author,but the eye-witness account given by Col. Rafi is very moving but sadly,even this has not been able to mobilize people to save their right to choose their government.Though people formed their governments later,but everytime the democracy was publically raped by the military and that is bigger tragedy compared to execution of Mr.Bhutto.

a moving story of the death of the only leader Pakistan has had after Qauid-e-Azam.

rightly said by mantolives, Bhutto case can not be used as a precedent. however, now we see examples of such decisions every now and then. judiciary in Pakistan is working as a government`s tool to validate its ill doings. the most corrupt judges are promoted and those who take a stance are compelled to resign/ take fresh oaths.

Astaghfirullah, may God bless our nation.. Amen.

as far as the Ahmadi issue is concerned, Bhutto was surely under influence… otherwise he wouldn`t have done any such thing... weekness of the great leaders..isn`t it?

``The authorities wanted to confirm whether Mr. Bhutto had been circumcised in Islamic manner or not. After the photographs were taken, it was confirmed that he was circumcised in the Islamic way``
So even after killing him the authorities were looking for ways to violate his dignity.

ZAB was a great leader and like any normal human he had his faults but the way he was
dealt with was disgusting. A great man--the only one really since the Qaid which pakistan has had.

He would have made pakistan great if he had lived 10 more years...

such were the morals that the great leader imparted to his daughter that her only rivals in ill begotten wealth are the generals of nigeria and the marcos and suharto families. she has the unique distinction along with hitler and mao of being ``elected`` head of the party for life.

The great democrat was also the chief martial law administrator and had a more effective muzzle on the opposition than any dictator. a rigger of elections he was deposed in a coup, after street rioting broke out in protest, by the man he made chief by superseding half a dozen senior generals.

this champion of islam and the chief of the OIC was also the biggest fornicator and drinker, with pimps like wife beater Khar for procurement.

this great champion of the poor was also one of the largest land owners/feudals of pakistan, compare this with Nehru who donated almost all his fathers property to the Congress and the nation (all of which was earned by Motilal`s own sweat). In this offcourse he was following the lead of the other great leader the Quaid, who Nehru forewarned that feudalism and regressive tendencies being greater in muslims they would loose out by forming a seperate country and by cutting them off from the more educated and progressive trends in india.

it was in the steps of this second great leader that Nawaz Sharif was following when he muzzled the judiciary, the press, the opposition and then fired army chiefs at will imposing the junior most army commander as chief. even then he wasnt satisfied!! so the protege repayed in the same coin as the previous Military usurper. prior to the Nawaz had in time worn pakistani fashion allready poccketed a few billion dollars for his retirement expenses, luckily for him he hadnt passed any liquidation orders on political rivals, else........


after zia and until chaghai almost every pakistani ex-president, ex-prime minister, even ex-isi chiefs and ex- ministers had been openly flouting the nations nuclear secrets (claiming there major role in the project) , detailing the country`s involvement in insurgencies (while in bibi`s and mian`s case absolving themselves of all responsibility and putting it all on the army). compare this with India where til today the details are not known and before the blasts almosty nothing was revealed by either the scientists, the mandarins or the politicos. Heck even the CIA was in the dark as regards india (this after they had exploded their first device way back in 74)

no wonder this nation is in such a decrepit state they have such great leaders and degenerate upperclasses to look upto.

I was knee high when the elders were shouting in the morning, ``Ziye nay bhutto nu phaansi laa ta....``

this was a moving narration. of how the mighty fall. who knew a few years later the executioner will also die in a plane explosion.

colorful world indeed.

...bhutto was a bastard in all respects...and so are the current and past leaders...all of them are selfish sons of bitches...infact i should not insult bitches...

Again I want to say the justice system failed.
Our downfall started with Justice Munir when he sanctified the take over by General Ayubkhan.
Same thing happened when present general took over, he was able to get okeyed by justices. Our judges have no character or morals and courage to say no to take over they are immoral cowards and beggers looking for leftovers all time like post of ambasidership etc..
Again this can be avoided if we have no judges who are pakistanis. We should have Judges from USA, UK etc. Only at Supreme courts. Rest can be natives. We will have our laws ie constitution but at such cases can be interpreated by American or British Judges appointed by UNO. This is recolonization to help us and approved by UNO. In our neighbourhood in KUfr India Judges at that level have integrity and laws and social ethical milleu provides sufficent background and personal integrity to Punish a general if takes over India to ``save`` India. Unless we have American judges to interpreat take overs lawfulness the coups will errupt at regular interval of 20 years.
We should not be ashamed to ask help as we have and over justices have no moral character. As one american prosecutor said in ``kansi`` trial in USA. He said ``pakistani will sell his mother for few dollars``. What learned prosecutor is belief around and such illusions has lots of truth. If we can take 600 million aid from usa may be out of that can be used say 6 million dollars to pay our american appointed judges who will interpreat our laws. One should take help and if we really want to save problems we need to go to source and we will have to go against current or it will be same again.
It is good some people like YLH are taking training in law school after IT business ventures as we need people of deep conviction at high courts. But I know most masses are asses and do not want to go against currents and we will be always ruled by gun not by law. Old dogs done learn tricks or can not straighten tail.
Its all pathetic.
This military man should have not defiled dead Bhutto by giving details of his genital exam is sureal to read. If he was gentleman he should have gone to grave without defiled dead hanged man. Some time it comes to mind famous people have to carry more pain and suffering. It just striked me all famous plays of shakespear are tragedies Hamlet, McBeth Othello,Kinglear, Julious Ceaser. All mighy people and what depth of sorrow they have.
Mighty suffer lot compared to us and we have hungry dog scavangers fasting on dead bodies.

bhutto`s phansi is one of thsoe things everyone rememebres when and how he found out about the news....

I also remember when and how I found out fo Zia`s plane crash first time...life has its own way of making things even.

What amazes me is not the fact that Bhutto was `stone-form` before he was informed about the execution and how his humanic side took over as he was told that he was admonished to death! Or even how the inhuman and corrupt the governing bodies were back then that they had nothing up their sleeves this time to save the poor soul from this disgrace. But the fact, as pointed out by someone earlier, that how mentally, physically and emotionally passive the nation that we call Pakistan is! From the high-ups to the grass-roots. No one really cared what was actually going on.

No, I should put it this way, no one actually has had the balls to stop the nepotism that goes on in the country. And those that do have them, are put to death by someone who is of no interest to the people! How sick can the nation that Jinnah dreamt of be?!?

May Zia and Bhutto R.I.P. Hardly imaginable what and where the souls of these poor deceased be right now, and in what condition. Astagfirullah!

The pilot of the C-130, Fareed, a friend of mine, told me that he was on a StandBy duty. He was woken up at midnight for the flight. He was told that he was taking the Prime Minister.

He went and settled into the aircraft. There was the usual activity. Then he asked some one. Has the PM come? He was told `Yes`.

He was surprised. He asked `Where is he?`. The reply came `in the Box`.

He said, at that moment, he felt ground slipping below his feet.

nhk

I think there is more to the last part (about Bhutto fainting) then colonel sahib is saying - A colonel and two non-coms were sent to escort Bhutto from his cell to the gallows. When they approached him, Bhutto started cursing them. One of the noncoms stepped forward and punched him, and that knocked Bhutto out cold (Bhutto was thin and emaciated by then). Colonel sahb called his general to report this and ask for instructions, and was told to take him to the gallows anyway (i.e. in his unconscious state) and get it done with.

(source: friend of mine who says he heard this from the colonel in question who lives in USA now).

The above is also consistent with something I heard from a completely different source - i.e. another person, who heard it from one of the jailers who was witness to the hanging: the jailer said Bhutto was literally lifted into the gallows, and did not seem to be conscious.

I hope someone gets the facts out before all those who witnessed the hanging themselves have passed away.

Four thing are on the balance sheet of Mr Bhutto..

1- East Pakistan He was one of the Main Characters , responsible or Not... ??

2- Degradation of the Society When he nationalized Educational Insitutes.....he
threw the whole socieity at least 90 point on a scale of 100 for civility if there ever is such a quanitifiable scaling of Civility ...!!

3- Nuclear Club He laid the foundations for Pakistan to join the Nuclear Club

4- Steel Mill could have been a vechile of progress for Pakistan... after all
another steel Mill owner ( Nawaz Sharif ) One day became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.


..... On the side Note.. His trial showed the repeated Failure of Justice System in Pakistan.

This military man should have not defiled dead Bhutto by giving details of his genital exam is sureal to read. If he was gentleman he should have gone to grave without defiled dead hanged man..............


I definitely agree!!.It is a shame, especially since the deceased was the PM.Even our Indira was given her dignity due in death, a state funeral, even though there were many in the land who didn`t agree with her, were victimized by her and even after her death were victimized in her name.Yet she was accorded the dignity due her on the day of her last rites.

Whether you like Bhutto or not, whether you think Pakiland is better or worse for his actions, the execution of this politician is a shame for all Pakis. Bhutto was murdered for personal vendetta and no amount of excuses can change that. Pakiland suffers from many ills and one of them is a total disregard for humanity, compassion, and common sense. It`s so sad.

Mr Bhuto was`a flawed genius,having unbridled ambition.He was extremely hostile towards
India and masterminded the failed adventure of 1965 and the purge in Bangladesh.He had
the intellect to outwit a wily leader like Indira Gandhi during shimla talks and could manage the unconditional release of all the 93,000 pakistani pows.Pakistan owns its nuclear deterrence capabilities to the single minded pursuit of Mr Bhutto.It is a pity that he had to die such a tragic and horrific death.

#19 tahmed

Although I wish the Col. Rafi had not published this account, one must admit that he has presented a very meticulously detailed account (down to the minutes) of this sad episode from Pakistan`s history.

Let’s do the decent thing by not contributing to the rumor mill (hearsay of a hearsay) regarding a long-dead civilian leader!

Therefore, in the name of everything decent, please SHUT UP!!!

Beejay: I made clear the exact source of what I heard. If you are incapable of differentiating between this and spreading rumors, then you have to be a pretty stupid man.

As for your uncalled for rudeness, telling me to shut up when I am not arguing about anything - that simply is another indication of your stupidity.

Go back to writing long essays on why Pakistanis are so bad and Indians are so good. Duh!!

Uthh jaag ghurare maar naaheen
Aye soon terey darkar naaheen
Moat na jhadee Pir Peghamber
Kithey hai Dara Sultan Sikandar

#25

Tahmed,

After the last fiasco of exchanges we had (I forget the board) I went back and read some of your recent and old interacts (I could not read all since they go back almost 3 years) – and I can not but notice the following:

(1) You used to have fewer but longer interacts, with more patient explanations and never used words like “stupid”.

(2) Your views appear to have been more moderate.

Let me randomly pick a couple of examples to illustrate:

TAhmed32: September 27, 2002: (Board: The Kal Aaj Aur Kal of Secularism ) “…That is, I must have written scores of posts on chowk by now that emphasize respect for all religions and beliefs, and indeed made it clear that it is no big deal whether you are a muslim or a hindu as long as you are good human being who respects all life….”

Also, since you accused BeeJay of being against Pakistanis, let me also present the following sample

(Board: The Politics of Rape on October 5, 2002)
TAhmed32 (To nikhat #78) …. The fact, my friend, is that the 3 out of 4 ``educated`` Pakistanis are incapable of using their minds. They have been brought up in a culture that rejects the right of the individual to think for himself, and in an education system that suppresses creative thinking while promoting rote learning. They respect wealth and power, have no understanding of the rule of law, and have no respect for the individual who happens to be poor and illiterate. ….

TAhmed, I NEVER said anything against the Pakistanis as strong as YOU already seem to have done!

Therefore, based on the above, there are two questions for you –

(1) What happened, and do you like yourself better the way you are NOW than the way you used to be?

(2) Do you think that your late dad (described so touchingly in a couple of your interacts from September 2002) would have liked you better the way you were then, or now?

And by the way, the answers are not needed by me, but perhaps owed to yourself! Thanks.

#27 That is all very well. But you are the one who wrote that I should ``shut up``, and I explained in #25 that this rude remark was uncalled for by anything I had written. And you are the one who accused me of ``rumor mongering``, and I explained in #25 that I had provided the exact basis for I heard and as such this could not be called rumor mongering. You have totally ignored this, and simply tell me that I have changed for the worse in the years I have been on chowk.

And to the best of my knowledge, no one ever accused me of being a saint anyway - one who would respond to uncalled for rudeness with gentle reminders to be nice. I would either end the discussion by wishing the poster a nice day; or have a bit of fun at his expense. Always have. Always will. :-)

neeraj1967 #23

`` Mr Bhuto was`a flawed genius,having unbridled ambition.He was extremely hostile towards
India and masterminded the failed adventure of 1965 and the purge in Bangladesh.He had
the intellect to outwit a wily leader like Indira Gandhi during shimla talks and could manage the unconditional release of all the 93,000 pakistani pows.Pakistan owns its nuclear deterrence capabilities to the single minded pursuit of Mr Bhutto.It is a pity that he had to die such a tragic and horrific death. ``

Bhutto may be a giant compared to other Pakistani leaders. That may be a sad reflection on the quality of Pakistani leadership.

Bhutto`s behavior in the Bangladesh crisis is a reflection of the overall West Pakistani elite. If Bhutto was not around the outcome (independent Bangladesh) would still be the same.

Pakistan would have still pursued nukes. Obviously the exact date of the acquisition would have been different.

What is use of feeding 93000 POWs when the 1971 war was over ? They are useless bargaining chips unless you wanted some of them to face war crime tribunals.

Flawed genius or not but we Pakistanis know that it is easy to blame Zia for our Islamism but it was really so-called progressive Bhutto who started the slide by banning Qadianis, alcohol and clubs in later part of his not so genius rule....

#28 Tahmed

In case I did not make it clear already, I have expressed earlier that Bhutto had some serious flaws – in my view the worst was that having been in a position to make a REAL difference (both internally and externally) he missed out big time and kept the problems around – to ensure personal gain.

Having said all of that, the man is dead. What’s the value in releasing the type of information you did other than to hurt the remaining family members (The counter argument – what’s the value in anything or what’s the value in the article, etc. won’t work. I already said that Col. Rafi should not have written this one.)

I notice that you did a similar thing on an earlier board too (April 5, 2005 (Board: If I am murdered…the ZAB saga!)), even though there you say “…I cant vouch for the accuracy of all this - but coming from two totally independent sources, it seems to carry some truth to it”? Can you be absolutely sure that it happened (and you yourself said no), if the answer is anything other than an unequivocal “yes”, then it must be called hearsay and merely adds to the rumor mill.

Note:
[Always have. Always will.]
This seems to have a familiar ring to it! Good to have sharp eyes – always have, always will!

[…You … simply tell me that I have changed for the worse in the years I have been on chowk.]
Do you disagree? I don’t hear you denying the thrust of that statement!

BJ #31 you write ``What’s the value in releasing the type of information ``

The value is that of letting truth be known. The value is in providing future generations a clearer understanding of history - and know one knows the truth of what happened better than those who were eye-witnesses. So, if there is any doubt that the colonel is not telling the whole truth, then it is important to raise that question as well to help arrive at the truth.

As for how I have changed on chowk over time - that is not important. The relevant thing is what I am specifically saying, not what I am like as a person. As far as I am concerned, all chowkies are good people in real life - loving brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends, whatever.

#32 Tahmed

The way I read this article, it’s a simple tabulation of factual events. There seems to be no attempt to push any particular political agenda by the colonel. I personally believe that these details (including your uncorroborated ones) do not contribute anything to history – all they show is an individual flinching in the face of certain death – it happens all the time!

The moronic and numbed mindset that allows these events to take place without questioning or challenging them (and Bhutto’s faults or virtues as a political figure ought to have nothing to do with such a challenge) is what distresses me (and perhaps ought to distress you, too), because of which I sometimes get harsh. That’s all!

I do not reserve this criticism for just Pakistanis (as you seem to imply), rather I apply it generously to the whole subcontinent!!

Is there any point in posting these terrible details?.What are you trying to prove?.Bhutto family has already suffered enough,please don`t add to their miseries.


This place is infested with psychopaths and sadists.Don`t turn it into a political hyde park.

34, Son of Owl,
You are so correct. I got sick of the details. It`s one thing to know that a man was murdered - it`s worse to hear the gory details of his suffering. At least, Zia the ba$tard got his in the end.

Re: #19 by tahmed32

What you describe here might very well be true. The author does state in the book that he`s witholding some information in ``national interest``. This could be the info. he`s not revealing.

Pakistan Army does have a penchant for mistreating, hitting and abusing political leaders. In his book ``The way it was``, Brig. Z.A. Khan describes how a Pak Army soldier slaps Mujibur Rehman after his house at Dhan Mandi had successfully been raided. There were also reports of roughing up of Nawaz & Shahbaz Sharif during the 12 October 1999 coup.

As Ahmed Faraz has rightly said:

Pesha var qatilo tum sipahi nahin (You are no soldiers, you professional assassins).

to me he was one of the best polition of the world of his time...
--Mannan

Mukhlis: thanks for your feedback. As for mujiburrehman, an unflattering personal aspect was identified while he was in custody after the agartala conspiracy: the jailor said they asked him if he wanted in newspapers etc. to read while in custody. mujib asked for a pack of cards to while away his time, and would play with one of the jailors.

regardless of his political views (supposedly socialist, although he was never atempted to disown the feudalistic spirit in him), his ulterior motives, and other flaws that people saw in him as a politician or a person, this account of his last days does provoke a certain humane sympathy inside me. Somehow or the other it was the anticipation of death that makes it so moving and scary, and its easy to say that ``Bhutto was hanged`` but to actually delve into the gory details is something else. Its always a prisoner`s anticipation of death-the feeling that he is going to die soon, is the thing that makes it this way. for example had he been shot directly without him knowing it, or plainly murdered without his knowledge, it wouldnt have been scary in the way it was now.
I found this piece to be quite interesting.

I am glad that he died. He was a great politician but him and his family to this day has done nothing but bankrupt Pakistan and its poor people. The only thing that worries me is that his daughter and her husband and children are still there. An until they decide never to come in politics again, this country will always be under a big risk.

Re: # 34
What are you an idiot. Suffered enough. They should all be brought out on the atreets and pissed upon before being shot - you idiot

true or not.....the fact that he was hanged after an unfair trail.....was horrible...and they saked him and tied him as if to get rid of him in a hurry......
but miss benazi deserves to be hanged alot more then her pa.....and unfrotumately she is all free......
colors of life

Salam,
I am Sarfaraz Ahmed from Bangladesh. Its sad that the way Bhutto died shouldnt be the way and in fact I too beleive he was framed of the charges. But having said that, I beleive he has paid with his life for separating the 2 pakistans in 1971.

Sarfaraz

I`m a Brit born Pak. And it never amazes me how a large proportion of Pakistani`s sit back and watch political figures rape the country. As long as a few pennies come their way, they dont mind seeing billions stolen from Pakistan. Bhutto and his offspring as well as Nawaz Sharif are the reason why Pakistan is still a third world country. Votes are brought for a cup of tea... then the people complain when IMF loans have to be paid back which means a rise in taxes. The PPP should be renamed the PRP - well they`d like to get in power again so they can rape Pakistan once more... The disgusting thing is a large proportion of the country take part in this `rape` by supporting them. India is a super power now - yet the super rich of Pakistan are but the politicians who are trying to get their `dirty legs over` once again....