Pakistan Views

Newspapers in the Gulf, home to many Pakistani expatriates, called for calm in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, which some papers called inevitable.

“It is strongly urged that charged sentiments be turned to keeping calm instead of igniting further trouble,” said the Khaleej Times, an English-language daily in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Now, there is much fear of massive rioting breaking out across the length and breadth of Pakistan, prompting a return to emergency (law) and undoing the election cycle,” it said.

“There can be little argument… Pakistan is at its worst in a very long time,” it added.

The Arabic-language UAE daily Al-Khaleej said it feared for the future in Pakistan after the two-time prime minister was killed in a gun and suicide attack.

“What is happening in Pakistan makes us put hands over hearts in fear and alarm,” it said. “Our hearts go out to Pakistan,” it added.

In Saudi Arabia, the English-language daily Arab News said in its editorial Benazir’s killing was “targeting Pakistan… (and) meant to plunge Pakistani politics into chaos.”

“It is up to decent people now to frustrate the murderers and prove their evil hopes wrong,” it said.

“Once the immediate shock of Benazir’s murder has sunk in, her supporters must recognise that this was a wicked blow aimed against Pakistan itself, not simply at the PPP,” it added.

The pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat called the assassination inevitable because Benazir had posed a threat to extremists.

“It is not strange that she was killed… This woman was beyond the ability of her foes to bear,” it said.

“Anyway, her platform was suicidal… she demanded a curb on ‘extremism factories’ in religious schools,” it added.

Some newspapers noted that Benazir compromised her personal security by returning home despite threats against her, with one calling her actions foolhardy.

“It was always deemed a courageous act to return to Pakistan this time to fight the forthcoming elections. But courageous acts can, in retrospect, also be deemed foolhardy,” the UAE English-language daily Gulf News wrote.

The Saudi Arab News also said Benazir’s “undoubted personal courage led her to underestimate the dangers.”

“The suicide bombing of her convoy during her triumphal return to Karachi ought to have taught her what she was up against. Yet, though her home became a fortress, she eschewed many obvious safety precautions when she was on the political stomp,” it said.

Army troops and Rangers, along with the police, on Saturday patrolled some of the affected areas of Hyderabad as the situation started moving towards normalcy with only a few incidents of firing and arson having been reported.

Five people were killed in different areas of Hyderabad late on Friday night. Protesters Hamid Panhwar and Hamal Panhwar were killed at the Tando Alam oilfield while two persons died of burn injuries when attackers torched the offices of Jhando Mari. The dead included Hajan Mari and Mumtaz Jarwar. Yar Mohammed, the gunman of a bank near Hala Naka, was also reportedly killed in violence.

The citizens are experiencing a curfew-like situation and hardships and a large number of people thronged the smaller markets and shops that opened early Saturday morning to purchase items of daily use at higher prices.

Large queues of citizens were seen in some areas where some shopkeepers opened shops in small lanes in various localities of the city and Latifabad.

The situation remained tense in Qasimabad and Husseinabad and other adjoining areas of Hyderabad.

Shortage of flour was reported while prices of fruits, vegetables and other kitchen items reached new heights because of the demand and supply gap as commodities were not being supplied on a regular basis.

The Army and Rangers along with the police conducted a flag march. However, the markets and shopping areas of the entire city remained closed for a second consecutive day while offices were closed because of three-day mourning announced by the provincial and federal governments.

Some policemen were also seen on a few roundabouts for maintenance of law and order situation on Saturday as the police went into hiding after the spread of news regarding Benazir Bhuttoís assassination. Five persons were injured in a shootout with the Rangers in Husseinabad when the Rangers prevented them from looting and arson. An exchange of fire also took place in some other parts of the city. Firing incidents were also reported from Allah Dad Chand Goth, Tando Yusuf, Badin Bus Stop and other areas of Qasimabad.

The protesters set a bus on fire near the bypass and a petrol pump at the Badin bus stop while incidents of setting tyres on fire were also reported from different places.

Traffic was also seen on roads after two days, as the situation started moving towards peace. Rush was witnessed at the only petrol pump that opened in the morning. Public transport was missing and the road and rail link remained affected even after two days and no official was available to comment as to when these links would be restored.

Meanwhile, 10 vehicles parked inside the parking area of the director general health office were torched along with other belongings of the office.

The Sindh Seed Corporation office and foreign restaurants and branches of multinational banks were also set on fire at the Auto Bhan road on Friday.

The chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rahman, has termed the assassination of Benazir Bhutto a great tragedy and said it must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

He said Benazir Bhutto’s death had shocked the whole nation at a time when the country was passing through the electioneering phase.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, he said the filling of the vacuum created by Benazir Bhutto’s assassination would take a long time.

The MMA and the JUI-F equally mourn the deceased leader and soon a meeting of

the MMA would be convened to discuss the future line of action.

The Maulana said terrorism and extremism had increased all over the world and had become a threat to the civilized society for which the US was responsible.

The US should revise its policies and avoid the use of force for bringing peace to the world, he said.

Political analysts have started speculating about the next leader of the Pakistan Peopleís Party (PPP) ñ someone who will replace the late Benazir Bhuttoís lifetime chairpersonship and keep the party intact, united and popular.

Making predictions about the next PPP leadership can be tricky, however, seeing how Benazir Bhutto had forced most of the senior party leaders and close aides of her father to leave the party and form their own factions or even separate parties.

At the same time, she had also filled the most important posts in the party with people who were quite unpopular among the masses. Moreover, her advisors and close aides also lacked support and confidence of lower-ranking party workers and the majority of activists.

Several high-profile PPP leaders and associates of her slain father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, including former prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Sardar Farooq Leghari, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Dr Mubashir Hassan, Aftab Sherpao, Faisal Saleh Hayat, her uncle Sardar Mumtaz Bhutto and even her sister-in-law Ghinva Bhutto had turned against Benazir Bhutto and each of them had formed their own political parties, albeit less popular than the PPP.

Nevertheless, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, a spiritual leader cum feudal lord hailing from Sindh who led the party in days of Benazirís self-imposed exile in London and Dubai, is by far the strongest candidate for a possible successor to Ms Bhutto, provided that he manages to secure the confidence and support of her husband and other senior figures in the party.

Fahim is seen as a moderate, liberal and flexible person within the partyís ranks, and enjoys the support of the establishment as well as popularity among other political and religious forces in the country.

Another strong candidate could possibly be renowned lawyer and leader of the lawyersí movement, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, who compelled the government to restore deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan and earned widespread respect not only among PPP supporters, but also the lawyersí community, and all political parties which were struggling for the reinstatement of the top judge.

Unfortunately, Aitzaz Ahsan does not enjoy much support among influential PPP leaders despite being a competent leader. Moreover, some observers believe that he could even quit the party to form his own faction as Benazir Bhutto and the rest of the party did not exactly approve of his role in the lawyersí movement.

According to some political leaders, Benazir Bhuttoís husband Asif Ali Zardari, a person known for his alleged corruption and alleged involvement in the assassination of Murtaza Bhutto, could also be a possible successor to his wife but his chances of running the party were quite grim owing to strong opposition by some party leaders, who believe that he was the person responsible for Ms Bhuttoís miseries.

Unfortunately, all the three children of Benazir Bhutto including her two daughters, Bakhtawar and Asifa, and her son, Bilawal, are too young to take their motherís place right now.

Some political analysts claimed that PPP could not remain united after Benazir Bhuttoís assassination as none of the party leaders had the charisma that could keep the party intact. They claimed that now the PPP could disintegrate into two or more factions due to internal rifts because the force behind the partyís unity was no more there.

The leaders of various political parties staged a protest demonstration Saturday against the assassination of Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

“Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza” was offered at three different places: Government High School Playground and at two-venue on Swabi-Mardan Road. The workers of PPP, ANP, PML-N, JI, JUI-F, PPP (Sherpao) and Pakistan Awami Party gathered in the Kernel Sher Chowk, chanted slogans against government and demanded that the rulers should immediately step down. The protesters marched through the main Swabi Bazaar and returned to the Kernel Sher Chowk through link road. Traffic on all roads remained blocked for six hours. The ANP district president Haji Rehmanullah led a protest rally in the Shewa Adda and marched towards the district headquarters.

The district nazim Shahram Khan ordered to close down all the institutions while announcing three days mourning.

Meanwhile, Dr Yasmin Jasim, district president of the ANP women wing said that it was a great shock for the whole countrymen that the leader like Benazir Bhutto was brutally assassinated. She said in a press statement that at present crucial juncture the country needed leaders like Benazir Bhutto.

This city and various areas of the district gave a deserted look as complete strike was observed Saturday against the assassination of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Almost all markets of the city remained deserted as traders of Mardan observed strike while roads linking Mardan with Malakand, Swabi and Charsadda were closed and vehicles remained off the road. Petrol and CNG pumps also remained closed. PPP workers staged demonstrations in the district and chanted slogans against the government. They pulled down billboards and posters of PML-Q candidate from NA-9 Shad Ali Khan.

In the city, Syed Abid Ali Shah advocate, Muazzam and a candidate from PF-30 Iftikhar Shagai led the protesters. They held a public meeting at Pakistan Chowk where the speakers condemned the brutal murder of Benazir Bhutto.

Meanwhile, candidates and workers of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) strongly condemned the gruesome killing of Benazir Bhutto and termed it a cowardice act. Former MNA and district chief of JUI-F Maulana Qasim while addressing local media termed Benazir a great leader and said her services could not be ignored. He held rulers responsible for the killing of Benazir Bhutto.

Thirty persons including Chairperson, Pakistan Peoples Party, Ms Benazir Bhutto were killed and several others injured in an attack here outside Liaquat Bagh, Rawaplpindi on Thursday.

According to rescue team more than 30 persons were dead in the suicide bomb attack occurred after the public meeting of PPP here at Liaquat Bagh.

Earlier, Asif Zardari, husband of Ms Benazir Bhutto informed that she had sustained serious injuries and was given medical treatment at a hospital.

Benazir Bhutto addressed a public meeting in Liaquat Bagh and soon after she went out, a suicide bomb blast occurred outside the venue.

At least 20 persons have been confirmed to have been killed in the incident, including policemen. Body parts of a number of people scattered around after the power blast.

Police have described the blast a suicide attack.

Leader of PPP, Farhatullah Babur said sound of a powerful blast was heard when the vehicle of Benazir Bhutto was moving past the gate of the bagh.

The rescue team said the blast took lives of more than 30 persons.

Initially, PPP leader Rehman Malik had said that Ms Bhutto remained safe.

Later, Asif Ali Zardari, husband of Benazir Bhutto informed that she had received severe injuries. The police sources also confirmed that Bhutto has sustained critical injuries and shifted to a hospital.

The latest reports said that Benazir Bhutto was killed by fire hitting her neck.

The death of PPP Chairperson agitated the party workers.

PML (N) Chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, condemned strong words the attack on PPP public meeting. He said the PML (N) public meeting scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi had been cancelled in view of the tragic incident.

As many as four workers of Muslim League (PML-N) were killed on Thursday evening, when a few armed men opened fire on them on Karal Chowk of Rawalpindi.

According to reports, gunmen opened fire on supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, when they were taking out a rally to receive their leader.

Sharif blamed supporters of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) for the violence at Karal Chowk of Rawalpindi. Police confirmed several people had been hurt in shooting.

“Some Q League workers fired at our people,” Sharif said while talking to an international news agency, referring to the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Q).

“We have reports that several people were wounded,” he said.

The caravan of Nawaz Sharif, which was on the way to Rawalpind, has been stopped several kilometers away from the firing scene

Punjab government Thursday declared 18 districts of the province as the most sensitive in view of terrorism hazards here.

Talking to Geo News, Punjab Home Secretary Khusro Pervaiz Khan said the provincial government has called in the military on the occasion of general elections in these district of Punjab, adding the contingents of the Rangers would help police maintain law and order situation there.

He said police and civil administration would be posted on polling stations, while the troopers of army and Rangers would remain on flag march on the streets of these cities.

Home Secretary said the districts declared most sensitive include Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur.

Chief of Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharif said that Muslim League (Q) is equally responsible for violation of law and constitution in the past and those responsible for sufferings of political workers would be taken to account.

Nawaz Sharif was addressing the public rallies in Dena, Sohawo and Gojar.

Muslim League (N) leader said that he wants to bring revolution for the eradication of unemployment, poverty and dearness

He said that this is the time to say goodbye to dictatorship and those would be taken into account that ditched masses and workers.

Addressing in Sohawo, Nawaz Sharif said that Muslim League (Q) is equally responsible for the wrongdoings of the past.