June 21 is a day of enormous joy and pride because we were bestowed upon a leader of high stature in the person of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. As we mark her 58th birthday today - It also conveys the message in no uncertain terms that even after her martyrdom Shaheed Benazir Bhutto continues to be the symbol of the federation of Pakistan that she was in her life.
It was truly an honor for me to meet Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on many occasions during her visits to United States. In these interactions, I found Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s life to be an archetypal study of courage, commitment towards people’s well-being, and steel-like resolve to achieve the goals she set for herself.
She took over the shroud of leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party from her illustrious father Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the most demanding circumstances. She then carried forward his mission and braved the oppression of a dictatorial regime for eleven years with paramount courage. She continued to motivate millions and kept their hopes alive during this dictatorship. It is the sole honor of the PPP that it has its roots in every segment of society – be they workers, laborers, peasants, students, lawyers, teachers, intellectuals and women.
Due to her political insight and leadership, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto made her mark in the world politics. She was a quintessence of courage and fortitude who did not allow her personal tragedies to stand in the way of her larger commitment towards her people.
I believe it pertinent to refer to quotes of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. In her address to a seminar on the bequest of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in April 1989, she said: “Courage and grace in the face of adversity are the hallmarks of a great leader.” In another speech at Columbia University in 1995, Bhutto said: “The character of men and women is shaped by their own ability to triumph over adversity and not to be bowed in the face of a storm.”
She established through personal example that she was a leader who practiced what she preached. There is no misfortune, big or small that she did not face starting from martyrdom of her father, both her brothers, threats to her life and then, to the rigors of exile and detention.
I remember that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto used to say: “Turn your personal pain into your strength. You can surmount world with this power.”
There is a very select and rare class of people who become eternal after their deaths. No doubt Shaheed Benazir Bhutto is one of them. She was a heartthrob of millions of people and continues to rule their hearts and minds even in her martyrdom. Her entire life is a paradigm not only for the people of Pakistan but also the world. She was an embodiment of persistence, resolve and fortitude. Her name will be chronicled in golden words in the chronicles of history.
History will remember Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for three things: firstly, the firm determination to reach out to her people; secondly, the courage to take on huge and seemingly intractable challenges and thirdly, the ability to forgive her enemies.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto may not be physically with us today but her ideals and vision continue to enlighten our path. The principles and values she fought and died for remain as relevant today as they were in the past.
Despite the fact that there are many aspects of her memorable life, however, I will confine myself to only a few. The first and foremost was her avowal of jihad against militancy, radicalism and terrorism. She evidently warned us of this peril as far back as 1994 in a keynote speech at the Seventh OIC summit in Casablanca. She knew well the dangers to her own life as a result of her stand against terrorism and extremism but the well-being and future of Pakistan were dearer to her heart. Those who killed her may have martyred an individual but they have not silenced the idea that she championed. She led the fight against the forces of darkness from the front and thus by choosing martyrdom at the hands of terrorists, she has safeguarded the future of Pakistan.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto brought about positive changes for her countrymen throughout her life. This is just the beginning of a voyage. It is not time yet to hinge on our laurels. We cannot afford to be contented, for we have the debt of huge tasks conferred on us by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Let us join one another in the spirit of reconciliation, harmony and friendship to rid Pakistan of the momentous challenges that it faces.
The writer is managing editor of The Capital Post
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