Why Do We Keep On Putting Bhutto's in Office?

[sparklingway]

Pointless answers to a pointless question. There's a Zardari and Gilani in office. Two Bhuttos came to power. Both came on their merit. Benazir could never have become the PM had she not tapped the power of the people. The mass gathering she attracted in 1986-88 were the biggest ever and have never been matched since. Even when we say that ZAB had "nominated" her as his political heir, the PPP had crumbled in the wake of ZAB's hanging and the stalwarts were harassed, exiled or joined the Zia bandwagon. It took many years for the PPP to get back on its boots.

This does not mean that I'm somehow condoning for her bad years in office.

Why are biradris and bloodlines so important in Pakistan and South Asia in general? Because we are stuck in a tribal social culture where the family name is considered more important than one's deeds. People will bow before Shah ji in Southern Punjab, massage the feet of their chotay sain ji and then system continues. Our society is still in tribal in nature. Our political class will most definitely personify such tribal cultures where everything from honour to honesty is somehow inherited.

The culture of inherited political office will continue as long as our social culture remains tribal. The factories are owned by families. People do not trust anybody outside the family. People do not diversify their investment b/c they don't trust others, industries are passed in inheritance (the more modern form being corporations being IPO-ed and then gaining both capital, diversification and ultimately stability). Similarly, clinics are passed generation to generation. Tailorshops are passed generation to generation. The son of a cobbler is trained to become a cobbler. The scheme continues.

The world has moved on. While it was more or less the tribal society of "cobbler's son trains to be a cobbler", in the wake of the industrial revolution, the world moved on; South Asia in general and Pakistan specifically has been stuck in the eighteenth century socially.

PS:- Tribal does not mean FATA here. Tribal here means ancient culture based on feudalistic class and dispersed peri-urban landholdings.

And you "didn't lose land because of them". If ZAB is the sole and primary responsible for the fall of Dhaka, then I wonder where sanity and rationality have been lost in the larger scheme of affairs for a 13 year military rule ended up in a 61 percent average income inequality between the two wings, political, economic and social alienation of East Pakistan, denial of political right and ultimately a faulty theory of "defence of the east lies in the west" which ended up in us loosing half the nation and giving away a further 90,000 soldiers while committing a genocide of our own people. Don't put the blame on a person to exonerate an institute which has done much to nurture its guardian image.

 

[Meengla]

People elect Bhuttos because of emotional attachment; say what you want to but the 'poor' of Pakistan--not the blogspace elite--keep hoping that the next PPP govt. will 'deliver' for them. We may not know or may not care to know but schemes like Benazir Bhutto Income Support (BISP) and various similar ones are the reason the poor keep voting for the PPP. Blogspace just doesn't get it: The propaganda against PPP by them or by the so-called 'news' sources like Geo News does not much percolate to the poor people. If these elite news sources were to be believed then PPP was the most hated force in Pakistan currently. But look at the various elections results even after the Feb. 2008 elections: The number of PPP votes as well as the Gilgit-Baltistan elections show otherwise.

Having said all this, I would like the PPP to be Bhutto-free. I supported Benazir Bhutto because of her struggle against Zia lasting many years. Had the PPP not sacrificed so much, had ZAB bowed out and went to exile, Pakistan would probably still be ruled by Zia and his ideological folks, much like in the various Middle Eastern countries.

Coming to ZAB's role in E.Pakistan: I don't think ZAB could be solely responsible for that. I think the entire W.Pakistani leadership in particular and most of the general W.Pakistani populace was directly/indirectly responsible for the breakup. I am old enough to know that the word 'Bengali' was equivalent to a 'traitor' in Karachi and I am not from a political background. Enough said about that. If ZAB was majorly responsible then Zia would certainly have made public the Humood ur Rehman report. Also, equally important point, E.Pakistan would still be E. Pakistan had it not been the hopeless military situation due to the geographical reasons. India cannot repeat that in Baluchistan in the foreseeable future even though the biggest blunder has been done by killing an ageing, dying Bugti.

Finally, not to defend Zardari per se, but he is accused of taking 'kickbacks' for various contracts. Anyone who has lived in Pakistan knows that 'rishwat' or kickbacks are just about as prevalent as the rising son. What needs to be interrogated is whether Zardari's kickbacks were extremely damaging to the country or not at the same time looking up inside the closets of the power-players from 1977-1988.

 

[VrSoLdIeRs]

People elect Bhuttos because of emotional attachment; say what you want to but the 'poor' of Pakistan--not the blogspace elite--keep hoping that the next PPP govt. will 'deliver' for them. We may not know or may not care to know but schemes like Benazir Bhutto Income Support (BISP) and various similar ones are the reason the poor keep voting for the PPP. Blogspace just doesn't get it: The propaganda against PPP by them or by the so-called 'news' sources like Geo News does not much percolate to the poor people. If these elite news sources were to be believed then PPP was the most hated force in Pakistan currently. But look at the various elections results even after the Feb. 2008 elections: The number of PPP votes as well as the Gilgit-Baltistan elections show otherwise.

Having said all this, I would like the PPP to be Bhutto-free. I supported Benazir Bhutto because of her struggle against Zia lasting many years. Had the PPP not sacrificed so much, had ZAB bowed out and went to exile, Pakistan would probably still be ruled by Zia and his ideological folks, much like in the various Middle Eastern countries.

Coming to ZAB's role in E.Pakistan: I don't think ZAB could be solely responsible for that. I think the entire W.Pakistani leadership in particular and most of the general W.Pakistani populace was directly/indirectly responsible for the breakup. I am old enough to know that the word 'Bengali' was equivalent to a 'traitor' in Karachi and I am not from a political background. Enough said about that. If ZAB was majorly responsible then Zia would certainly have made public the Humood ur Rehman report. Also, equally important point, E.Pakistan would still be E. Pakistan had it not been the hopeless military situation due to the geographical reasons. India cannot repeat that in Baluchistan in the foreseeable future even though the biggest blunder has been done by killing an ageing, dying Bugti.

Finally, not to defend Zardari per se, but he is accused of taking 'kickbacks' for various contracts. Anyone who has lived in Pakistan knows that 'rishwat' or kickbacks are just about as prevalent as the rising son. What needs to be interrogated is whether Zardari's kickbacks were extremely damaging to the country or not at the same time looking up inside the closets of the power-players from 1977-1988.

one thing sir there are allegations that hamood ur reham commission report was tempered with while ZAB was in charge, plus not even nawaz (at that time being against bhuttos) wanted to disclose it, plus if you have read this report it only encircles the military failure not the political one It was asked to investigate "the circumstances in which the Commander, Eastern command, surrendered and the members of the Armed Forces of Pakistan under his command laid down their arms and a cease-fire was ordered along the borders of West Pakistan and India and along the cease-fire line in the State of Jammu and Kashmir."

so ZAB didnt had anything to worry about but he knew if he would make this public an outrage from army would come, and just to add up it was the army itself which removed yahya and his fellas not the politicians or the public!!!

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib had one to one meeting in east Pakistan (1970) and both agreed on thing "you rule here and I rule there".

 

[sparklingway]

Bhutto and Sheikh Mujib had one to one meeting in east Pakistan (1970) and both agreed on thing "you rule here and I rule there".

Could you attach the newsreport concerned?

Leave it, I'll clear this for you myself.

Firstly, you are even mentioning the myth in a wrong way. The myth is that Bhutto said it to a public gathering in Karachi not to Mujeeb in a meeting. So get your myths and conspiracies right.

Secondly, coming to the main point. Khalid Hasan has conclusively proven this statement to be a fake one conjured to sell a newspaper with limited publication.

A charge against Bhutto that does not go away is that had he not declared at a Nishtar Park Karachi public meeting, addressing Mujibur Rehman, “Uddhar tum, iddhar hum.” (You stay there, we stay here), Pakistan would have remained united. These words are said to have set the seal on Pakistan’s dismemberment. The truth is that these words were never said by Bhutto. It was Abbas Athar, news editor of the Lahore Urdu daily Azad, who ran the Bhutto speech under this brilliant though misleading headline.

Abbas Athar was a past master at thinking up such startling headlines. This famous headline appeared in Azad on March 15, 1971. What Bhutto had said was, “If power is to be transferred to the people before a constitutional settlement, then it is only fair that in East Pakistan, it should go to the Awami League and in the West to the Pakistan People’s Party, because while the former is the majority party in that wing, we have been returned by the people of this side.”

The Polish resolution has been used to malign Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; added to which is that other urban legend: the Idhar hum Udhar tum , words never uttered by Bhutto, but words that keep getting attributed to him so that he can be held responsible for the dismemberment of Pakistan. While I have no illusions that my writing one more time on this will make the two myths disappear, it is still something that needs to be done every now and then so that ZAB is at least not attacked for things he did not do.

I have myself heard Abbas Athar (now appearing on Express' Column kaar accepting that he concocted the statement and he himself accepts that its wide acceptance among the masses is down to the revision of history under Zia to blame ZAB as the sole and only reason for the Fall of Dhaka and exonerate the military of all its crimes b/w 58 and 71. The fact of the matter is that the military ruled for 13 brutal yearsm, a genocide was committed and Pakistan broke into two halves. If indeed Bhutto is the main culprit, then I wonder what happened to the all powerful Generals who ruled as President, CMLA, CnC and Supreme Commanders for supposedly a non-elected leader with majority (not absolute) support in wing is responsible for a political, military, economic and social debacle.

What can be conclusively proven is that the statement attributed to ZAB and the "biggest sign of his nefarious intentions" according to right wingers and brainwashed and indoctrinated kids is an urban myth. If you want more proof, please watch Bolta Pakistan 4 April 2008 episode. Abbas Athar accepts that he made up this statement to spice up his newspaper. if you aren't able to get the episode from archives, I can help you with that as well.

So next time you try to steal away complex political, social and historical facts with sweeping statements, do try to check your claims. Urban myths are mostly based on hearsay and gossip, most of which is never true and only meant for character assassination.

 

[sparklingway]

one thing sir there are allegations that hamood ur reham commission report was tempered with while ZAB was in charge, plus not even nawaz (at that time being against bhuttos) wanted to disclose it, plus if you have read this report it only encircles the military failure not the political one It was asked to investigate "the circumstances in which the Commander, Eastern command, surrendered and the members of the Armed Forces of Pakistan under his command laid down their arms and a cease-fire was ordered along the borders of West Pakistan and India and along the cease-fire line in the State of Jammu and Kashmir."

What is presented today is the Supplementary Report which was prepared after the POWs had returned. The initial report is commonly believed to have been destroyed. A copy might be lying in the classified section of the NAP but we might never know.

There's no doubt the both Mujeeb and ZAB were playing dangerous cards, but to attribute the fall of Dhaka entirely on ZAB's shoulders is what the military did after it hanged him. If you happen to read a textbook printed in the mid '70s you might get to know that the difference in indoctrination is huge as well. Then it was labeled as entirely an Indian conspiracy. Now it's ZAB was evil + Indian conspiracy. The military is exonerated of its crimes for obvious reasons.

We all know that while ZAB was high highhandedly handling military affairs (firing Gul Hasan in a disgraceful manner), he too did not let its guardian image be shattered. The Report was not released much like all reports (except the UN report now, which was a fact finding mission rather than a report). The military did not want any further stains on its uniforms.

Had it been released then, what would the people have though when they would come to know that while committing a genocide, its officers were also allegedly involved in a bank robbery. And that there were no court martials of the culprits, rather people with known crimes were given promotions and important assignments.

As far as I understand, Fall of Dhaka has been wiped off the public memory to protect the military's guardian image under successive military dictatorships. The people of West Pakistan do not want to be reminded that they were cruel, intolerant criminals who exploited the people of East Pakistan and tried to dominate a more populous province. It's that guilty conscience that has buried the history of Fall of Dhaka under a mountain. ZAB is an easy person to blame but even the right wingers find it difficult to handle as they must praise ZAB for starting our nuclear program, which are our crown jewels and the only source of pride for male chauvinistic prideful, narcissistic and hungry military and bourgeois class and at the same time criminalize him for the Fall of Dhaka.

 

[Meengla]

As far as I understand, Fall of Dhaka has been wiped off the public memory to protect the military's guardian image under successive military dictatorships. The people of West Pakistan do not want to be reminded that they were cruel, intolerant criminals who exploited the people of East Pakistan and tried to dominate a more populous province. It's that guilty conscience that has buried the history of Fall of Dhaka under a mountain. ZAB is an easy person to blame but even the right wingers find it difficult to handle as they must praise ZAB for starting our nuclear program, which are our crown jewels and the only source of pride for male chauvinistic prideful, narcissistic and hungry military and bourgeois class and at the same time criminalize him for the Fall of Dhaka.

You are one of the most level headed Pakistani blogger I know! Keep it up, bro.

ZAB was no angel, by a long shot, but, outside of the right-wing media and the naive blog-space, hardly anyone ever blame him for the Fall of E. Pakistan. As I said above, perhaps what I say about being Bengali was equivalent to 'traitor' but then, in early 70s, Karachi was Jamaat e Islami's heart.
Meengla

 

[sparklingway]

As I said above, perhaps what I say about being Bengali was equivalent to 'traitor' but then, in early 70s, Karachi was Jamaat e Islami's heart.
Meengla

I have myself seen a Nawa e Waqt headline from '64 or '62 where its written "Bhooka Bengali" in the wake of a massive flood and resulting famine.

The guilty conscience of our elders does not let them talk about the issue but we should not exonerate them of their crimes.

 

[Murshad]

Oh God, people still believe that a single man caused the fall of Dhaka. We still are not mature enough to look back at history by setting a side our personal biased. Unfortunately that “mafia” which ruled our motherland singlehandedly always find a “escape ghost” outside from their “community”.

ZAB is always declared responsible for Dhaka fall. A lot can be written and has been written on this topic, but main factor which seeded the “seed of liberation” in the hearts of East Pakistanis was our colonial attitude and this exited from top to bottom level. I will not give any civil reference, but many military professional also mentioned in their books.

Much has been criticized on ZAB’s nationalization policy. It is very necessary to have some check on accumulation of wealth. At least I can say for myself, many I know reached the superlative level of education despite being belonging to lower middle class families. These days with rapidly increasing private sector in education, it is becoming like an investment for better job.

ZAB, no doubt in it, was not angle, he can be made controversial in many ways but his main success was to bring politics out from drawing rooms of powerful people to the streets of Pakistan. He became a beacon of hope in the hearts of masses. Once he said to his people in his one jalsa, I live among you, I will fight for you, I will die for you and beyond any doubt he died so bravely that he has become folklore.

God also acts in mysterious way, he was hanged in a dark night, quietly transferred to Larkana, chemicals were put in his grave to decompose his body rapidly, and sate owned media made him responsible for all crimes but look at his shrine, populous not less than shrines of Hazart Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and on other hand look at “shrine” of “amir ul momineen” Hazart General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, he was buried in Faisal mosque just to make sure that people can visit his last place but everyone knows majority of those who go there intentionally avoid “amir ul momineen’s” shrine.

Now BiBi did not come to power just because she was daughter of ZAB, she dauntlessly led the struggle, from the front against military rule. From Zia’s era to her shahdat, though she compromised on some basic issues but even then she successfully maintained her image among masses and she was elected twice.

People like Bhutto’s because they have earned their love, look around you in current political arena how many are even close to them.

 

[Meengla]

@Murshid,
Well said.
It may also be pointed out that BB decided to seek power by trying to have the Americans on her side to influence the establishments of Pakistan and that was because of the futility of headstrong approaches. Otherwise, PPP's cadre remained deeply suspicious of America's role in ZAB's assassination. To this day, there are many, including top stalwarts like ND Khan who maintain that ZAB's murder at the hand of Zia was blessed by Americans due to the rapidly changing geo-political situation in Pakistan's western frontiers. Now, I am not sure I believe this or not.
I bring up above points because, to this day, many Pakistanis, especially the blogspace, believe that BB was an American Stooge. That is utterly non-sense!

Also, much can be written about BB's struggle against Zia. People may not know that Zia's rule was so ruthless that he even used to crow that 'Look, the country is all quiet now.' BB suffered REAL jail, lot of psychological torture and pressure, saw the betrayal of her family by her party's stalwarts, disintegration of her family and the stigma of her brothers' violent path... Right from 1977 till 1984 she was variously pressured, jailed and tortured. Most of that happened while she was not an American darling but Zia was!

So, some of us, including me, are in praise of BB not because she was a Bhutto, but because she had earned it. I do not hold her brothers and her off-springs in the same respect. They don't mean much to me unless they take part in politics and EARN their places.

 

[T-Faz]

I want to see Fatima Bhutto in office, who agrees with me. She would make the best looking head of state by far. Of course we should run the country behind closed doors but she will be excellent for our image and global appeal.

 

[Murshad]

@Murshid,
Well said.
It may also be pointed out that BB decided to seek power by trying to have the Americans on her side to influence the establishments of Pakistan and that was because of the futility of headstrong approaches. Otherwise, PPP's cadre remained deeply suspicious of America's role in ZAB's assassination. To this day, there are many, including top stalwarts like ND Khan who maintain that ZAB's murder at the hand of Zia was blessed by Americans due to the rapidly changing geo-political situation in Pakistan's western frontiers. Now, I am not sure I believe this or not.
I bring up above points because, to this day, many Pakistanis, especially the blogspace, believe that BB was an American Stooge. That is utterly non-sense!

Also, much can be written about BB's struggle against Zia. People may not know that Zia's rule was so ruthless that he even used to crow that 'Look, the country is all quiet now.' BB suffered REAL jail, lot of psychological torture and pressure, saw the betrayal of her family by her party's stalwarts, disintegration of her family and the stigma of her brothers' violent path... Right from 1977 till 1984 she was variously pressured, jailed and tortured. Most of that happened while she was not an American darling but Zia was!

So, some of us, including me, are in praise of BB not because she was a Bhutto, but because she had earned it. I do not hold her brothers and her off-springs in the same respect. They don't mean much to me unless they take part in politics and EARN their places.

Yes you are right, she compromised on some very vital issues right from 1988. After 1988 election she accepted GIK as president and YK as foreign minister. Though people said at that time, she tried to neutralize the polarization with establishment by accepting such people, but establishment was not ready to accept peoples power even drinking the blood of two Bhutto’s at that time. She was removed from power and her party was made shrink to minimum possible level. But she did not surrender and very delicately played power politics and forced GIK to lick their own spit. First time we saw cracks in establishment and they have to breaks that statue which once they made with their own hands, GIK took oath from Asif Ali Zardari as an interim minister. For us it was like standing in front of mirror and spitting on your own face.

She was granddaughter and a daughter of a prime ministers, with a feudal background but right from revolt against her father till her death she went through and lows of his political life but never ever gave an even impression of surrender. A lady who was born with golden spoon in her mouth died the death of Rani.

 

[Murshad]

I want to see Fatima Bhutto in office, who agrees with me. She would make the best looking head of state by far. Of course we should run the country behind closed doors but she will be excellent for our image and global appeal.

It seems to be not possible, she has shot in her own feet. In her last book what she wrote proves her as an immature writer. Though at one time with her “ideas” she was considered an alternatives for some ideological dissidents but after that everybody is keeping a safe distance from her. Even Bilawal has to struggle very hard to get even close to the place of his mother and his grandfather. Loooooooong way to go for that kid......................

 

[Meengla]

@Murshad,
You bring up a good point about BB having to accept GIK and Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan at all--part of Zia's team for years--after the 1988 elections even though, with MQM's and other allies' support, she was entitled to form a govt. in Islamabad. This was/is the same ugly Pakistani establishment which hunted the PPP for 30+ years. There is so much ugliness done by Nawaz Sharif, Mullahs, dubious 'journlists', the presidency of GIK, the Army+Intelligence agencies between 1988-1990 alone that we can write several books about them.

The most obvious example: The 'Mehran Gate Scandal' which is under judicial-review since about mid-90s. But our so-called 'independent judiciary' is unable or unwilling to take up that case despite a relatively neutral person like Asghar Khan's repeated pleas. Wonder why?! Why is the judiciary hell-bent on the NRO which was promulgated barely 2-3 years ago and ignoring a 15-year old case which had profound implications in Pakistan if you think through what was done then. Even Hamid Gul has admitted to his role in the MGScandal and presented himself for 'justice' to the nation of Pakistan. Was there no major corruption done between 1977-1988? We all know that minor industrialists became tycoons and the Generals too prospered? And what about the judicial murder of ZAB to which Justice Naseem (?) has admitted the ugly role of the Pakistani suprior courts? Why is the 'honorable' CJP silent on all these?

 

[Fracker]

Do we have any choice? Agencies, our foreign lord predict and choose government for us, and people follow those predictions and government official, also most of the loyal people can't even get any party seat, or get out of eligibility or if you get out of that you don't get vote as you can't invest in, and don't get publicity, problem is not bhuttos, shareefs, or any other thing, but the system which only let these types of people to come up, and honest people to stay away or forced to stay away from politics, until unless we change the system, we will see same people ruling us again & again,