Benazir Bhutto is No Fallen Angel

I find the media’s constant veneration of Bhutto as some sort of demi-god quite biased and puzzling at the same time. Of course, the manner in which she and other civilians were killed should be condemened, but have we forgotten that this woman was charged of corruption not once but twice during her tenure as prime minister? Have we forgotten that the Taliban regime was at its peak in Afghanistan during her reign in office? Have we forgotten that in 2006, Interpol issued a request for arrest of Bhutto and her husband Asif “Mr. 10 per cent” Zardari who were involved in money laundering scams in several different countries? So much for her being the “beacon of democracy” and an example of “enlightened moderation”.

Pakistanis were not happy when Musharraf dropped corruption cases against Bhutto during the US-brokered power-sharing negotiations. The first assassination attempt on her in Karachi was a reflection of that frustration. The people of Pakistan are also tired of the same tried and tested failures who are trying to catapult themselves into power, because they realize that a corrupt democracy is worse than a dictatorship.

Let us not fall prey to personality politics and for a minute try to look beyond the articulant, charismatic persona and consider the reality of the situation. Benazir Bhutto was obsessed with gaining power for her own interests and had robbed the nation at the expense of her own people.