Benazir Bhutto, known as BB in the realm of politics, is dead. She was the bete noire of Islamists and jihadists who labeled her as an American and Jewish agent. Religious party leaders like Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Maulana Fazlur Rehman proclaimed that a female cannot be a prime minister in a Muslim country. The former chief minister of Sindh Dr Arbab Rahim, who comes from the Pakistan Muslim League-Q -- Musharraf's king's party -- said BB was a curse to the nation. Punjab's former chief minister Parvez Ellahi, also from the king's party, has been accusing PPP of disintegrating Pakistan. He stated on several occasions that BB had looted Pakistan and had come back with the same intentions.
BB's death has silenced her opponents. Her arch rivals, the Chaudhrys of Gujarat, Parvez Ellahi and Shujaat Hussain, put up a big ad in a local newspaper to condole her death. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that BB had made a major contribution to Pakistan's politics and despite being on the other side of the political divide, his party always respected her courage and commitment to her political views. Chaudhry Parvez Ellahi termed her death a national tragedy.
Anarchy prevailed in the country soon after BB's death. Incidents of riots, arson, looting and killing were reported from various parts of the country. The sporadic violence claimed 16 lives; hundreds of vehicles were set on fire; many shops and banks were looted; private properties were ransacked and torched; various police check-posts were set on fire; police stations in Sindh were attacked by frenzied mobs who stole the official weapons. Vehicles of citizens parked outside their houses in Rawalpindi were badly damaged. The hospital where BB died was also damaged by her angry supporters. Three PPP supporters tried to commit suicide by stabbing themselves. In a nutshell, this was the worst aspect of the tragedy, which has tarnished Pakistan's image badly.
It simply proves that law enforcement agencies of Pakistan are completely useless. They have failed to curb terrorism as well as control the damage ensuing afterwards. Police and law enforcement agencies can only torture hapless citizens. They are afraid to fight criminals and terrorists. In fact, they are the first to run away when criminals and terrorists take the law into their hands. Pakistan has witnessed the same lawlessness in the wake of December 27 that it had witnessed on May 12 when the terrorists in Karachi had killed more than 45 people in the presence of law enforcement agencies.
People do not take to the streets for their legitimate rights. There is an acute shortage of flour. The price of roti has gone up from one rupee to four. Daily commodities like milk, sugar, oil, vegetables and other groceries have gone beyond the reach of the masses. The poverty of people does not force them to protest, but motivates them to steal and rob when the others are hit by tragedies and emergencies. During the earthquake of October 8, 2005, the quake victims were looted; kidneys were removed from their bodies and sold, and girls were abducted and raped.
The peaceful citizens are always the worst victims in the incidents of terrorism and violence. Take the example of any restive place in Pakistan. Whether they are the suicide attacks orchestrated by the militants or the counter operations by the law enforcement agencies, the majority of the dead or injured are the innocent. Pakistan has witnessed 54 suicide attacks in 2007 that have claimed hundreds of lives. The biggest sufferers in these attacks have been the innocent people. The war against terrorism is leading nowhere. It is only strengthening the militants and the dictatorial regime of Musharraf while terrorising the peaceful citizens of Pakistan.
The rising lawlessness in the country and the growing popularity and success of suicide attacks are the most dangerous signs for Pakistan's integrity. The suicide attack against BB should not be taken as an ordinary fidayeen attack. It will have serious repercussions at the global level that will be extremely negative and harmful for Pakistan. It will simply endorse the fears of the international community that Pakistan is a failed state. It is a tortured land. It is the safest haven for the Al Qaeda network. It is a lawless place ruled by the militants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban who can overpower the state apparatus easily. The militants can kidnap hundreds of army soldiers and successfully negotiate their release with the authorities on their own terms. The militants have the capacity to target the army chief, the prime minister, and the corps commander. The militants have the capacity to kill a popular former prime minister. Thus, in this situation, they are quite capable of possessing nuclear arms and using them easily against the eternal enemy of Islam -- India, if not against the United States!
Incidents like December 27 will continue to strengthen the aforementioned fears. There is a pressing need to dispel such fears. Today, the belief is becoming strong among the masses that the war against terror is the war of the United States and the Pakistan army. It has nothing to do with the people of Pakistan. There is a need to change this perception. Terrorism is the biggest threat to the world. Suicide attacks are the most lethal and successful weapons of the terrorists. Terrorism must be rooted out and it cannot be done by isolating the people of Pakistan. Terrorism cannot be fought through repressive policies.
The tragedy of December 27 reinforces the fact that dictatorship strengthens terrorism. Only democratic forces can effectively fight terrorism because they represent the will of the people. They carry behind themselves the support of the people. Terrorism cannot be fought with terrorism. Unfortunately, this has been the policy of the Musharraf regime right from the beginning. That is the reason why Pakistan is becoming unstable day by day. Militancy is not limited to the tribal areas. In the form of Lal Masjid, it reached the heart of the capital. Musharraf's policies have failed to fight terrorism. They have nurtured terrorism and extremism.
The present situation demands a realistic analysis of the current policies. Bhutto's assassination has proved that Musharraf's decision of imposing emergency was to suppress the freedom of the judiciary and the democratic forces. It has done nothing to weaken the terrorists. Ironically, Musharraf is still hell-bent on sticking to power. Saner voices remind him that his lust of power could bring Pakistan closer to a 1971-like situation. Musharraf could still save Pakistan and have an honourable exit. It is a very genuine demand by the politicians that he should form an interim government with the consensus of all the political parties, restore the pre-November 3 judiciary, hold free and fair elections, grant general amnesty to politicians, and step down as president. The people of Pakistan will still remember him with good words if he accepts this advice.