An icon of democracy

“Military dictatorship is born from the power of [the] gun, and so it undermines the concept of rule of law. And it gives birth to a culture of might, a culture of weapons, violence and intolerance. I seek to lead a democratic Pakistan which is free from the yoke of military dictatorship.”

That was what Benazir Bhutto Shaheed said in a speech delivered to the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank a few months before she returned to Pakistan from exile in 2007. She knew the dangers of opposing the then military dictatorship and reactionary forces.

But she still decided to continue her struggle. Benazir Bhutto had returned to Pakistan with a clear message: that she will never bow down before the forces of tyranny and the extreme Right. She sacrificed her life to make Pakistan a democratic, tolerant, progressive and peaceful country.

Her assassination was a big blow to the democratic, liberal, secular and progressive forces in the country. Pakistan lost a courageous, progressive and popular leader. She was a symbol of national unity and the federation. “Charon sooboun ki zanjeer, Benazir Benazir” was not a mere political slogan. She was a symbol of hope for the poor, downtrodden and working people of this country. She was – and still is – an icon of resistance, struggle and democracy.

She earned the respect of her party workers and leaders through relentless struggle and sacrifice. She twice returned from exile – first in 1986 and then in 2007 – and on both occasions a sea of people from across Pakistan came to receive her.

Benazir Bhutto Shaheed had returned from a long exile, with a clear vision to take Pakistan forward. Her agenda was to introduce reforms in the system to improve the lives of ordinary people. She was determined to defeat the extremist narrative.

She had promised to provide employment, social and economic justice, basic services and equal rights to the people. She received tremendous response to her election campaign and once again proved that she still enjoyed massive support. “Benazir ai hai- Rozgar lai hai” was the popular slogan in the election campaign.

Thirteen years have passed since the assassination of the charismatic chairperson of the PPP and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. She was martyred near Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi soon after addressing an election rally.

Her sudden departure created a huge political vacuum not only in the PPP but also in national politics. This vacuum can even be felt today. It was a huge setback and shock for the party. The PPP never fully recovered from that great loss.

Benazir Bhutto stood and fought for a peaceful, democratic, progressive and sovereign Pakistan almost her entire life. She fought for the economic, political and democratic rights of the people, freedom of expression and for true democracy. She stood for social and economic justice and equality.

The reactionary forces silenced the loudest voice for democracy, rule of law, supremacy of the constitution and parliament, human rights and freedom of expression. She was a symbol of resistance and struggle in her life and became an icon of democracy, courage, and sacrifice after her assassination.

Benazir Bhutto fought most of her life against military dictators and rightwing reactionary forces. She spent most of her active political life in opposition. The powerful forces of the country never accepted her and tried everything to discredit her. For this, they even launched a vicious character assassination campaign against her.

Benazir Bhutto faced constant character assassination, smears and vicious propaganda from those that opposed her. Every effort was made to discredit her. She faced perpetual resistance from the religious right backed by powerful actors.

Every effort was made to weaken her party. The PPP went through many highs and lows under her leadership but she succeeded in steadying the ship against all odds. The military regime of Gen Zia unleashed brutal state power to destroy and repress the PPP. She was arrested, imprisoned, and spent many years in exile.

She once said that: “I have led an unusual life. I have buried a father killed at age 50 and two brothers killed in the prime of their lives. I raised my children as a single mother when my husband was arrested and held for eight years without a conviction – a hostage to my political career.”

It will be unfair to judge her performance on the basis of two brief stints in power (1988-90 and 1993-96). She had an ambitious economic agenda but she was not able to realise much of it for various reasons. The opposition from elected and unelected opponents also played their part. She faced hostile political and other forces which tried everything to topple and weaken her government.

Yet she managed to leave behind a legacy of commitment to democracy, economic empowerment of the downtrodden and social equality that is rivaled by only the one left by her great father.

Benazir Bhutto came to power in the era of the crushing domination of world markets and capitalism. She saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the crisis of social democracy. She emerged as a political leader in the era of the free market and neoliberalism, which impacted her political views and ideology as well. The era of the decades of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s were completely different from the era of the 1960s and 1970s. She represented her era. She was an idealist like many other popular leaders but became more pragmatic with the fast-changing realities. It was a journey from idealism to pragmatism – in order to embrace the realities of her period.

Benazir Bhutto was never given a free hand to implement her policies. Her five years in power were used to malign her politics and agenda of reforms. Circumstances never allowed her to show her full potential as prime minister. She spent 25 out of 30 years of her political life in opposition. Almost 19 years of her political life was spent under military regimes. She led two pro-democracy movements and skillfully managed the restoration of democracy under difficult circumstances.

So, one can disagree or criticise some of Benazir Bhutto’s policies when she was leading the party. But nobody can deny the fact that she was a brave and charismatic leader who stood for the democratic, constitutional and fundamental human and economic rights of the people.

The writer is a freelance journalist.