Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan

I don't usually write political posts but yesterday was traumatic sitting outside Pakistan for the first time in a significant political situation. The 2-time ex-prime minister, daughter of a great visionary though emotional leader, comes back to the homeland in search of POWER once again via the upcoming elections.

Once a politician, always a politician. This line echoed all around the negotiations with President Musharraf of power sharing in which Musharraf gets the democratic support of Benazir while she gets all the charges against her dropped. All this in front of a much knowledgeable and smarter international audience. Its no longer the 1980s or 90s. Everything is out in the open. News travels all around the world in a matter of seconds and opinions start no later.

The lady stoops down to such tactics in order to get back to power. Its as simple as that. The same Benazir was talking about no-negotiations with a Non-Constitutional Military Person last year and here she is gulping down the chances of becoming Prime Minister again. I simply cant believe the nerve these people have of calling themselves the only sources for "Food, water and clothing...". These people have no religion. Ever thought about GOD?

The lady though in self-imposed exile hadn't stopped her election campaign. She was opposition and will remain opposition until she is the government. That's traditional politics. It all picked up fire with elections approaching and a big speech while leaving her exile home in Dubai and then a big reception at Karachi all spelt quite foreseeable scenarios. Just to add, all this was amidst clear death threats from Al-Qaeda and Taliban. These I should add are denied by the said parties.

She arrives and in about 10 hours the bombings. Right next to her armoured customized truck. What was to expect?

We unfortunately watched it all on foreign news channels and everybody had their own propaganda to care of. It was all about who sells it the best to their audience.

CNN was putting the blame and solely on Taliban and Al-Qaeda. That's the American strategy anyway.

BBC played neutral and after showing the news for a while actually switched to other things

I found Al-jazeera portraying different opinions even though it did not make any sense other than the fact it put me glued to the TV.

In this modern day and age, I can clearly say that if somebody wants to have somebody killed, they WILL get killed. There is no two-way about it.

Who are her enemies? How about EVERYBODY?

Al-Qaeda/Taliban because she said if she gets to power, she will let US forces invade NWFP and those areas if required. What a thing to say but she needed to be on the good side of US as well right? How else could she gain the support? It was the strategy of if you cant beat them join them and even though Musharraf wanted her democratic support badly, she needed it also. Its not longer just politics inside the boundaries of the country. Pakistan politics effects world politics now and its not only because it is a Nuclear state.

Opposition was just as well a suspect as its quite evident that she is the favorite to take up the Prime Minister's position if  elections take place. There is a rejuvenated support of people who have been dying for her to come back and take power. The ignorance of it...sigh...

How about the military itself? Alright so there were power-sharing deals etc etc but how about we get rid of her? Wouldn't that just solve the whole deal. Of course nobody should find out it was us.
Another comment I heard was suspected attack was from the Shaheed Bhutto Side. That is the sister-in-law widow led clan of PPP who evidently hates the family. I highly doubt she would be coming out of nowhere to have something like this done.

How about this whole thing was a HOAX in itself? It was an attack conducted by herself to gain popularity as to how she has come amongst fire and bombings to save the country. What a great election campaign? All right so a few people died. Casualties of WAR...but the stage is set. She has the sympathy and I think a lot of people who were doubtful about yes or no towards Benazir would be wondering...an attack like that, I am sure people know what she can do and a larger majority of it don't want it to happen. I think we should support here...?

You wanna hear my thoughts and opinion. I am not going to get myself killed. I don't defend anybody and at this moment I do not know whats best for the country. Ok, no matter what people say, I think Musharraf has played his part in stabilizing the country amidst a period of real instability. He managed to pass the time by making friends with the US and whatever the strategy the country stays intact, has his identity and has a say in world politics. Ok so with that other issues of internal conflict nurtured as he wasn't the democratically elected person but if I look back now I think he came at a time where the whole world was scared of the volatile nature of country. Being a nuclear state made it even more dangerous and in such scenarios the bigger powers of the world wouldn't be on your side. Musharraf has helped weathered the storm but now the country requires the correct way of government and that is DEMOCRACY.

But who to choose? Who is the ideal next Prime Minister? Musharraf obviously believes he has done well and doesn't want somebody else to come and destroy it all. He stays president and looks after the progress with a STICK. HE gives away his uniform though. The parliament, prime minister seat goes to....???? How about Benazir with no real power? She gathers her supporters, majority and focuses the plans towards how the country is going currently without much changes to current policies? Or how about somebody completely new? The trouble is such a person doesnt exist....the people don't have the choice other than the sharifs, the religious politicians and the bhuttos. Nobody else has the backing.

I stand confused at the sorry state of affairs but only pray for Pakistan. It has the potential to be one of the greater nations and economies of the world and the powers of the world know that too. The internal turmoil though "created" due to so many different opinions, it is exploited by foreign influence who don't want it to stabilize. The old-fashioned and no-tolerance attitude of its own people has made Pakistan the most vulnerable country of the modern age. All it takes is a killing of some significant person of some party or religious sect and there you go, the struggling economy goes for a toss.

The only people who can change the future is the people of Pakistan. There is a need to come out of the old-fashioned, non-tolerant way of thinking and thinking about the bigger picture of the future. The next government decides the future. Strong words to say but, at this moment in time the whole existence of a country called Pakistan is at stake. Lets just seriously think of 3 words from another great leader and how it can be put into practice.

UNITY........FAITH........DISCIPLINE...