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Benazir Bhutto assassinated

Jill

The first female leader of Pakistan was killed on Thursday. She was 54. More than a dozen bystanders were killed with her.

Bhutto was certainly a polarizing figure, but however justified criticisms of corruption, hypocrisy and politicking may be, the fact remains that Bhutto was a liberal, secular leader and a strong, intelligent and courageous woman who led her country two times and spoke out against the current regime. And it’s a shame she’s gone.

It remains to be seen how this will impact the future of Pakistan. I hope it serves as a wake-up call that lots of things need to change, but I suspect it will do just the opposite. As one commenter at Pakistaniat says:

As long as Pakistan can only have change brought about by individuals, Pakistan will not change. What we need are institutions – and the political parties should not be immune from this requirement. The parties need to be depositories of certain ideals and policies, that their elected leadership can sell to the nation and implement when they come to power.

Were that the case, there would be no need to “assassinate” individuals, since the party itself, and the ideals it represented, would be undamaged, with new leadership ready to step in.

Liza has more thoughts about Bhutto as a feminist icon for the developing world. Juan Cole has analysis of what this means for Pakistan and the United States. Both are well worth a read.

And I’ll echo Adil Najam’s sentiments: Today, in shock, I can think only of Benazir Bhutto the human being. Tomorrow, maybe, I will think of politics.

16 thoughts on Benazir Bhutto assassinated

  1. You know, maybe it makes me a bad person, but today I can only think of the politics, and the ramifications this act will have internationally and nationally within Pakistan … tomorrow, maybe, I will think of Bhutto the person, the human being.

    But regardless of the accusations of corruption, I agree Jill, she was a light of progressivism, secularism, pluralism and democracy in a region of the world without many such (not that we’re that much better in the west mind you) who did risk her life in fighting for advancement in her country. The world lost a woman and a human being of incredible strength and ability today.

  2. “What we need are institutions – and the political parties should not be immune from this requirement. The parties need to be depositories of certain ideals and policies, that their elected leadership can sell to the nation and implement when they come to power”

    Are we still talking about Pakistan?

  3. One of my senior papers was about her brief time as Prime Minister and her family history (her father and brother were also killed in order to further a military junta in the late 70s). Regardless of the specifics of her brief time as Prime Minister, she was a unique symbol and somebody who demonstrated great courage in returning to a country whose institutions were dead-set against her.

  4. Pingback: R.I.P. Benazir Bhutto « Problem Chylde: Learning in Transition

  9. I can’t believe it… I can admit that I haven’t done a lot of research into this but from what I did see of her on the internet and on the news… I really liked her, she seemed like someone who wanted to change things for the better, and fought hard for it.
    And now she’s gone forever…

  10. I admit to having double standards when it comes to women politicians. Everything is amplified, a personal sentimental blunder. Such as higher expectations and, consequently, greater disappointments when the case, such as hers, testifies a (to put it kindly) spotty record. Well, a politician’s a politician.

    I agree, I feel sad Pakistan lost her not for her politics, but more for what she signified culturally. Impressive woman.

  11. For some reason, amidst all the politics that I can’t help thinking about…I’m also thinking about her three children: two daughters and a son, the youngest of whom was 14.

    Truly heartbreaking.

  12. I’m definitely thinking about the politics. My first thought when I heard the news was that things are going to be very, very ugly.

  13. Pakistan’s history is full of military coups. Bhutto comes from a family who had one member overthrown back in the 1970s. I think it was Pakistani extremists that killed Bhutto. How sad. =/

  14. Whatever you think of her politics or performance, no one can deny that it took almost inconceivable courage to return to a country where her father had been assassinated, and to ride standing up through a sunroof after having been the target of one assassination attempt already.

    Poor Pakistan. I hope things don’t turn completely to shit there.

  15. fauzia, me too… I echo Bitter Scribe’s admiration for her courage.

    It seems she felt she had little choice but to set aside her personal life, stay and try to help create a better Pakistan. A very brave woman. Time and history will see what the fallout will be.

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