Hamid Mir
Most of Pakistan’s popular politicians have the same story, only with change the character. When these politicians are in the opposition, they spend a long time in jail or in exiled, but when they come to power through some understanding or silent agreement, they become” prisoners” of their own understanding. This is the beauty of this system in which a popular politician, even after becoming the Prime Minister, seems to be someone’s prisoner. Whatever is happening in Pakistan today is not happening for the first time. While reading Farhatullah Baber’s new book about Benazir Bhutto, “She walked into fire” repeatedly realizes that this is not just the story of a former Prime Minister but the story of many former Prime Ministers. Babar had written a book about the first term of President Asif Ali Zardari some time ago, in which he had described his observations as the spokesperson of the President. Babar’s second book is about the days she spent as speechwriter and then spokesperson for Benazir Bhutto. This period covers 1988 to 2007 and during this time Shaheed Bibi was in the opposition for a long time. This is a first-hand story of the minus Benazir formula. In this book, Farhatullah Babar has revealed some historical secrets that complete the story of Shaheed Bibi. She completed her last book, “Reconciliation” just a night before her martyrdom and was martyred on December 27, 2007, outside Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. This was the same place where Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was martyred in 1951, and another Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged in the same city of Rawalpindi in 1979. While reading Farhatullah Babar’s book, I also opened the last book of Ms. Benazir Bhutto. Shaheed Bibi had mentioned some incidents briefly. Babar explained many incidents in full detail. The subject of Ms. Benazir Bhutto’s last book is very wide. She started this book with the situation in Pakistan, where she started a dialogue with a military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, to restore democracy, but this dialogue was not with just one dictator. As always, America was also standing behind the dictator. This dialogue started in America and reached Pakistan and this dialogue was initiated by Farhatullah Babar, whom Ms. Benazir Bhutto did not mention in her book, but Babar has described all the details of the dialogue in his book. I still remember the day when Shaheed Bibi told me at Zardari House, Islamabad, that she was shifting to Dubai with her children for some time. In those days, Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister and Asif Zardari was in jail. A decision was to be obtained against Asif Zardari and Benazir Bhutto by a judge of the Lahore High Court, Justice Malik Qayyum. Shaheed Bibi was worried that if she was also arrested, what would happen to her children’s education? She shifted to Dubai to arrange safe accommodation and education for her children. After some time, Nawaz Sharif, who forced her into exile, was also exiled to Saudi Arabia. Some time after 9/11, General Pervez Musharraf’s government contacted Benazir Bhutto for a dialogue through a Pakistani living in the United States. Shaheed Bibi did not initiate this dialogue herself but sent Farhatullah Babar to the United States for the dialogue. Babar has described the important details of this dialogue in his book. The dialogue began in December 2001. If we keep in mind the details given by Farhatullah Babar, in December 2001, the United States had told the PPP that elections would be held in 2002, but democracy would not come to Pakistan. Yes! This has happened before that elections were held, parliament was also present, but democracy was missing. Farhatullah Babar was told in America that Nawaz Sharif and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto would not only not participate in the elections, but Shaheed Bibi would remain in exile till 2007. It was also made clear that Asif Zardari would also remain in jail and if Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto did not cooperate with General Pervez Musharraf, the People’s Party would be dissolved. Farhatullah Babar took this message from America and reached Dubai. He gave this message to Shaheed Bibi. Shaheed Bibi refused to surrender on this joint message of America and General Pervez Musharraf. The next round of dialogue took place in Islamabad between Farhatullah Babar and Tariq Aziz, a close associate of General Pervez Musharaff. Then Shaheed Bibi was offered to be the Chairman of the Senate. She refused. Then the 2002 election was held. The People’s Party was dissolved from 2002 to 2007, General Musharraf had a free hand. Instead of taking Pakistan forward with full American support and a rubber-stamp parliament, he took it back for many more years. Under the pressure of the 2007 Lawyers Movement, General Musharraf again started a dialogue with Ms. Benazir Bhutto, but this dialogue was also a fraud. General Musharraf agreed to take off his uniform and hold elections, but he wanted to move forward with the formula minus Benazir and minus Nawaz Sharif. Shaheed Bibi was not satisfied. She came to Pakistan against Musharraf’s will and was martyred. There are many such incidents in this book when Shaheed Bibi used to get angry with those who criticised her husband.
She got so angry with a journalist that she told Babar, if he ever asks for an interview, he will remind me of his false news. Farhatullah Babar has mentioned me in one place in his book. When I was fired from my job in 1994 for writing a story about a submarine scandal, Shaheed Bibi offered me an important government position. I apologised with gratitude and said that this was a temporary storm. This is not my journalistic decline, and I will get through this difficult time. Babar has written about my refusal that Shaheed Bibi was very happy with this refusal. In this book by Babar describe many incidents about democracy, judiciary and media, as well as the role of America, are very similar to today’s events. While reading the book, it is also regrettable that the democracy for which Shaheed Bibi sacrificed her life has not been restored yet. So, election are being held here, minus one could have been done, minus two could have been done, but democracy still does not come and those who call democracy in the name of democracy do not learn any lessons.
