It was in the dargah compound of Ajmer when our phones started buzzing with friends and relatives wanting to share grief on the loss of a woman who was both loved and hated but never ignored. This was the typical winter dusk and we were returning from a soulful traditional dua-i-roshnayee (pre-sunset prayer) where candles are lit in remembrance of the much revered Khawaja. Amidst frantic phone calls from grieving friends, the shock was cushioned in the mystical atmosphere as one reaffirmed that God’s will was above everything. But the aching sense of loss for Pakistan haunted us despite the calming effect of Ajmer.

It was this strong faith in God and in her mission that brought Benazir Bhutto back to Pakistan after an exile of nearly a decade. She returned despite the knowledge that she was on borrowed time; and there were heinous elements who wanted to physically eliminate her. Benazir was a lover of the mystics and had visited Ajmer thrice as we found out from the deeply-shocked residents of this small medieval town. Coming from Sindh, the land of the Sufis and poets, Bhutto was a devotee of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz. Like a true Bhutto she was not afraid of death as the believers consider it to be ordained by God in the first place. But the truth is that she is no more; and this is hard to reconcile with.

One cannot miss the symbolism of the location where Bhutto was killed. The place, Liaquat Bagh, is named after Pakistan’s first prime minister who was also shot here. The reasons for his death are still not known other than the simple imperative that in Pakistan, legitimate politicians need to be eliminated. This tragic place in Rawalpindi is also not far from the place where Benazir’s father was hanged in 1979; and whose legacy refuses to go away.

At least in Benazir’s case, the battle lines were clearer. A patently violent brand of political Islam masking itself as anti-imperial and aided by powerful elements within the Pakistani establishment is hell-bent on destroying Pakistan’s political and social fabric. Contrary to what many believe, this embedded dysfunction is above all a threat to Pakistan and its burgeoning population. The region and the world come next. In India, the comparisons between Rajiv and Benazir have been unavoidable as the two countries have suffered from the endemic violence, dynastic politics and a symbiotic relationship defined by cyclical political turbulence.

Today’s subcontinent has all but forgotten the tolerant and inclusive Islam that was practised by the Sufis and which in large measure shapes the belief system of a vast of majority of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This is what the militancy and its official backers are now set out to achieve but they forget that centuries of tradition of peace and inclusion can be dented but cannot be reversed.

Bhutto’s mass appeal remained a formidable challenge to the Pakistani establishment that failed to undo the legacy of people-centred politics for three decades. The Bhutto brand of politics came about without the manipulations of the bureaucratic steel-frame that shaped Pakistani politics, often in tandem with foreign interests. Benazir’s return in October showed that her popular support was intact despite the corruption charges, trials — real and media-led – and continued impression of incompetence and opportunism in a culture of misogyny and violence against women. Her worst opponents could not deny her dazzling articulation and grasp of global politics. And, now like her father she also demonstrated an uncanny sense of history, of seizing the moment and dying for the cause of political process in the militarized Pakistan.

This fearlessness of death is a Sufi trait as death is just another phase in our journeys and struggles. The inclusive and multicultural legacy of the Sufis is endangered by the rise of militant Islam and politics of elimination. Benazir Bhutto had drawn on this legacy and in her death we are reminded of the urgency to revisit and build on that legacy.

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The tragic deliberate assassination of Benazir Bhutto on 27^th Dec 2007 marked in the history of Pakistan as the second event after the merciless killing of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on 4rth April 1979 which shocked whole the nation and shacked the very roots of the state. It was just unbelievable and very much painful for a tender heart. No words to explain the state of shock, grief and emotions the nation suffered. The people belonging to all communities in the country as well as the entire world condemned killing of the great leader. Unfortunately it has been the history of Pakistan that the leaders have been killed in ruthless manner since independence. The formality of so-called investigation is done and the calamities become fairly the pages of the history books but this story should not end that way it must bring a big change in the fate of the country.

The point worth noting is to why the Bhutto family has been the target since beginning, the so-called judicial hanging of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, poisoning conspiracy of Shahnawaz Bhutto, murder of Murtaza Bhutto and now Benazir Bhutto. All these events seem to be continuation of a single agenda, to wipe out Bhutto family.

Elites of Pakistan do not like to be ruled by anyone else even having majority in the political ground; it is higher than their prestige to be governed by inferior people. The East Pakistan detached and became a sovereign state because their majority was denied.

The same tradition of the denial of majority was repeated once again when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was killed. He was one of the greatest leaders of the world and the real representative of the people of Pakistan. For instance a vast majority of people of Pakistan were socio-economically poor and anti-American. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s regime was poor-loving and wanted to introduce the policy of socialism and went openly against the US. The symbol of democracy was mercilessly hanged. Who killed him and why?

At present the elites are in the form of establishment. Due to the failed policies of the establishment Musharraf was weakened particularly the case of the chief justice and in anxiety state he went for the national reconciliation.

When Benazir Bhutto decided to come back to Pakistan, many rumors spread that all it was because of a deal and she was confirm as the prime minister with Musharraf as the president. On 18^th Oct when she came back from self-exile to homeland the hundreds of thousands of people gathered for welcome of Benazir Bhutto created very much unrest for the establishment and alarms of danger rang in their ears. After coming back to home her statements were firm, straightforward and even against president Musharraf, many times in election campaign rallies she clearly roared, “One more push for the falling wall”, since the issue of the chief justice Musharraf has been on decline. Many people thought that the combined setup of Benazir and Musharraf would not go a long way. Benazir Bhutto might have intention of collapsing the current setup completely to establish democracy in its real form for which she went among the people to motivate them to get a clear-cut majority. She knew that her life was at risk nevertheless she did not compromise with her mission and lost her life striving for democracy until her last breath.

Benazir Bhutto’s policies were clearly against Al-Qaeda and all other extremist groups even she did not like to sit together with the leaders of MMA, she could have become a big hurdle for the pursuits of Al-Qaeda if she had come to power. In Muslim world only Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons therefore has been a focus of the big powers, the US and Britain in particular. It is in their national interests that Al-Qaeda should not get access to the nuclear technology. They would support the regimes in Pakistan which are against Al-Qaeda and in accordance with them. Therefore Benazir Bhutto got continuous support from the west especially she gained more sympathies when she raised the issue of AQ khan. All this could be an eye-sore for Al-Qaeda. But the point should be noted that she was not in power at the moment so she was not an immediate or so much urgent problem for Al-Qaeda. One can hardly believe that Al-Qaeda is responsible for the assassination.

For whom she was the biggest hurdle? Question arises here. Benazir Bhutto was leading the biggest political party of Pakistan; she also had received a warm welcome at her arrival and her stance was very strong in the election campaign rallies. It was expected that she could have swept a prominent majority in forthcoming elections and as a result become able to topple the establishment.

In fact it is too earlier to say confirm who killed Benazir Bhutto but it is clear that these elements do not want the real democracy in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto’s killing is the murder of sentiments of the people of Pakistan. The great leaders do not born daily. Like guardians who earn livelihood, run their houses and care about their families, the leaders are guardians of the nations. When parents die the offspring becomes orphan and when leaders die nations fall into anarchy then disorder and destruction is the ultimate fate.

Benazir Bhutto’s death is loss of democracy, loss of whole the nation and in particular the people of Sindh. A wave of hatred was evident among masses in Sindh after her death. These people ask why the leaders belonging to Sindh province are being killed. All the benefit goes to a particular class of people who are non-democratic and have resolved to remain in power at any cost. Benazir Bhutto’s death has created a vacuum in politics of the country which can not be filled by any means but the responsibilities and mission she has left on the shoulders of people of Pakistan must be accomplished.

All efforts should be put for a proper and sincere investigation for finding the objective of killing her and the killers who should be prosecuted according to the law as soon as possible.

Fair and free elections should be arranged and let the power be shifted without hesitance and jealousy to the parties which get majority in elections. Further a complete provincial autonomy can be solution of many problems of the country; all the provinces should be given their reasonable rights to avoid provincial dominancy of big province of Punjab and feeling of nothingness and despair among the people of small provinces.

This tragic event has brought Pakistan to a turning point. As the time passes by the reality becomes evident and the truth always wins. If Al-Qaeda has killed Benazir Bhutto then the matter is different but if the establishment is proved to be involved in removing her from the political field then it may become a challenge for the national integrity of Pakistan.

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The Politics of any state has a sound impact on each and every individual of the state. Whatever is going on in a country, whatever the future political planning is and the direction in which the country is proceeding have a profound effect on individuals. In many revolutions of the world students have played an active role as the world witnessed in Iranian revolution. No one can neglect the role of students in the development and progress of a nation as they are the wheels on which the vehicle of the state will run in future.

Being students of university, it is appreciable neither to close eyes and turn face from the political issues and problems of our homeland nor to entangle ourselves fully in politics so that our studies and professionalism is compromised.

Before going further, we should know what is politics? “The activities involved in getting and using power in public life and being able to influence decisions that affect a country or a civil society is known as politics”. The politics had been the profession of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the main aim of politics is to serve and benefit to everyone concerned.

Contrary to that, practically the politics in our country has been misused at each and every level and its results have been extremely negative. It is a well known reality that unfortunately the role of the political parties in educational institutions has been so much terrifying that it has swept many hopeful and costly lives. The life of a university student costs price of a single bullet. The walls and floors of many educational institutions are coloured red by blood shed by students. This condition stuns a sensible person.

No need to go in details of all the events we are familiar to those events in the past and what is going on nowadays throughout our country.

It is the matter of the state to decide for the existence of the political parties in educational institutions but at this moment all the parties whether nationalist or mainstream should clarify their aims and objectives in their manifesto for residing in educational institutions what they really want to achieve.

The parties should have a positive role in the development and progress in the context of studies and profession, in solving problems of students. Further they can also play a pivotal role by supporting the financially weak university students by funds collected from various entities and especially those who are unable even to get admission after they are selected through entry tests. If these are the main objective then all the parties should sincerely proceed to achieve the noble cause and stop misusing students for their hidden objectives.

The parties misuse students and students misuse the powers obtained by joining a party. Most of the students join party in order to gain unlawful powers and to impose personal decisions over majority and to have a big share from various funds. They fight innocent colleagues and each other for their influence, selfishness and egotism.

The parties should stop their blind support to those student leaders who are the real cause of threat to contaminate the study and welfare environment but should support those who really want to achieve the noble objectives.

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As soon as the deported Code Pink activists landed in the US, they went to attend a Congressional hearing in Washington DC. They wanted to speak at the hearing but were told that the speakers had already been chosen.

One of the speakers was Mr. Richard Boucher the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs.At the hearing “Mr. Boucher gave the impression that Pakistan was on the path to democracy and that the billions of dollars in assistance was being well used. He called the state of emergency a mere “bump in the road.” The travesty of sacking the independent Supreme Court judges and replacing them with Musharraf allies was called a “Supreme Court reshuffling.”

When the Code Pink activists wanted to protest and declared, “ Musharraf has beaten lawyers and students, destroyed the judiciary, and censored the press. The U.S. must freeze all funding to this military government until emergency rule is lifted, the independent judiciary is reinstated, the censorship of the media is lifted, and all judges, lawyers, students and human rights defenders are released.”

The activist was arrested and will be appearing in court on December 27th to face charges of Disorderly Conduct.

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It is almost forbidden for our nation to speak about the almighty “ISI” publicly. Just to give you an overview about the Great Morals of our prime Intelligence Agency, times online published an article on Nov 11, 2007, highlighting some of tactics used by them. For reading the complete article click here

I would like people to discuss these actions and so many other such actions which we may or may not be aware of. So I ask you is this justified?