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Associated Press reports that Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated at a rally today.
It is unclear to me right now if she was killed by gunfire from the assassin who then blew himself up, or if she was killed by the explosion.
At least fifteen people were killed in the explosion.
Ironically, Musharraf had declared earlier today that 'No body allowed to sabotage electoral process in country'.
Maybe this doesn't count as sabotage.
What does this mean for the Jan 8 elections? Who's next? Pervez Musharraf will be very quick to cancel the elections and announce another emergency.
Pakistan's prime ministers have had some weird deaths.
Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated for his policy of moderation vis-a-vis India on the Kashmir issue. HS Suhrawardy, who at best provoked and incited riots, and at worst, did his Nero thing when Bengal burned in 1946 as a consequence of Jinnah's call for a 'Direct Action Day', is believed to have been poisoned. Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was executed for allegedly conspiring to murder the father of a dissident Pakistan Peoples Party politician.
I did some poking around and it seems likely that the PPP politician in question was Mahmud Ali Kasuri, the father of Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, who was until recently Pakistan's Foreign Minister and seen/heard very often on Indian TV news channels.
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated earlier today. Nawaz Sharif really ought to be doing something to save himself.
Benazir and Sharif looted and destroyed the country for the best part of a decade, beginning with Benazir's first innings in 1988. While she couldn't achieve much in her first term, her second term was notable for her husband Asif Ali Zardari being made Minister, and the subsequent nepotism.
Although her death is a sad event and condemnable, in a warped sense, I hope this is the beginning of a clean-up of Pakistan's political system. The country desperately needs a new generation of leaders.
Her government provided military and financial support to the Taliban. The Taliban gave shelter to Osama's al-Qaeda. It is speculated that she was assassinated by the al-Qaeda, something that the White House spokesperson also hinted at.
If it indeed was the al-Qaeda, it reinforces my belief that you cultivate and breed terrorists at your own risk.
The most hilarious part about George Bush's condolence message is when he says
The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy.Pakistan's democracy? Is he referring to what exists right now?
Labels: al-qaeda, bhutto, elections, musharraf, pakistan, taliban, terrorism
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'Daughter of the East' wanted to go further east
In a new revision of her autobiography, "Daughter of the East", Benazir Bhutto has claimed that Mirza Aslam Beg, in 1989, and Pervez Musharraf, in 1996, had offered/claimed to capture Srinagar. Extracts from this autobiography are being published by Outlook magazine, in the next issue.
"I once again heard how Pakistan would take Srinagar if only I gave the orders to do so. Musharraf concluded the briefing with the words that a ceasefire would be in place and Pakistan would be in control of Srinagar, the capital of Indian-held Kashmir. I asked him, ‘And what next?’. He was surprised by my question, and said, ‘Next we will put the flag of Pakistan on the Srinagar Parliament’.For one, this is hardly surprising. Everyone knows that Pakistan has always had
"‘And what next?’ I asked the general.
"‘Next you will go to the United Nations and tell them that Srinagar is in Pakistan’s control’.
"‘And what next?’ I pushed on. I could see General Musharraf had not been prepared for this grilling and was getting flustered. He said, ‘And you will tell them to change the map of the world taking into consideration the new geographical realities’.
"‘And do you know what the United Nations will tell me?’ I looked General Musharraf straight in the eye, as the army chief sat silently by and the room grew still, and pointedly said, ‘They will pass a Security Council resolution condemning us and demanding that we unilaterally withdraw from Srinagar, and we will have got nothing for our efforts but humiliation and isolation.’ I then abruptly ended the meeting."
An army-connected friend informed me that the dead bodies of soldiers were kept in frozen lockers and released in small tranches to prevent the news spreading of the high casualties inflicted during the conflict.
Labels: bhutto, india, jammu and kashmir, musharraf, pakistan, terrorism
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