Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is nothing if not dauntless and determined. Because of her courage and resolute will, she has thrice engineered her rise to political prominence. Her political career started way back in 1986 when by the standards of politics she was ridiculously young.
Then she had the advantage of thriving on a great legacy. Being ZAB’s political heir was no ordinary distinction. But still, it required a lot in terms of tactical wisdom and organizational skills, to cash on the strength of the Bhutto vote bank. Within thirty months of her return from ‘exile’ she ‘thumpingly’ proved that she was not ‘wanting’ in any of the above-mentioned areas Resultantly she became only the second ‘daughter’ in the world to earn her late father’s position of authority. In a peculiar way, she had ‘bettered’ Indira Gandhi’s accomplishments, who had risen to power in a smooth un-derailed democratic culture.
BB had to ‘slog’ her way up in an environment of coercive authoritarianism — an environment that still persists in the country, despite glaringly different styles, beliefs, tactics and temperaments of the two generals involved — General Ziaul Haque and General Pervez Musharraf. This is the third time in her political career that BB has set her eyes on the crown which once her father wore, and then she herself wore twice.
A few months back, not many in the country would have given a serious thought to the possibility of Mohtarma re-emerging as a powerful threat to the other contenders for power. Even amongst her own close ‘loyalists’ not many gave her a chance. But as I have said BB sahiba is nothing if not dauntless and determined. In this context I want to mention what she had said in the first interview I had with her on August the 9th 1990 — three days after her ouster from power. And also what had said during my last meeting with her in 1998, after her second dismissal.
“Mr. Akbar, I am not a visionary like my father. I am a product of adversity. I am a slogger. I know I have to fight my way out of all challenges. And I have to slog hard.” (1990) “Mr. Akbar, I don’t agree with you that the political history of Pakistan has seen the last of me. I know I am up against back-breaking odds. But I also know I am going to come back. I have an unflinching faith in my destiny.” (1998) Whether or not her adversaries like it, she is back with a bang. A bang that is unlikely not to echo in the corridors of history.
15-3-2014
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