Thursday, November 20, 2008

Benazir Bhutto: Before her death - 21


Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto

On Dec 01, 2007, Ms. Benazir Bhutto said military dictators had mistakenly assumed that the PPP would disintegrate after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s assassination. “But now, every PPP worker has turned out to be ZAB.” [1]

That was because of some dissenting Judges who upheld the law and justice while writing the dissent note on Bhutto’s hanging sentence and Benazir Bhutto and PPP owe this to Judiciary specifically to some courageous judges. Justice Safdar Shah, Justice Durab Patel and Justice Haleem Siddiqui acquitted Bhutto.

Justice Dorab Patel [refused to take an oath of allegiance to Military ruler Zia ul Haq in 1981]

Justice Haleem Siddiqui

Last month i.e. November [10-12-2007] after the imposition of emergency by General Musharraf [now Il Presidente] Police in Islamabad stopped Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from meeting with deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary Benazir Bhutto tired to approach disposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry homes where he is in detention but Police parked truck on road blocked her path. Despite repeated announcement of Chairperson PPP through megaphone to Police and Magistrate to allow her to meet with deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan who was prime victim of Provincial Constitutional Ordinance, she was not allowed. Later, rangers were also called in. Addressing the Party workers outside the Judges colony via megaphone, the Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is real Chief Justice of Pakistan. [2]

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry/President General Pervez Musharraf [Aren't they looking nice!]

On December 1, 2007 in Islamabad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman caused a furore at the event, held by the South Asia Free Media Association (Safma), by saying that the demand for restoring the pre-emergency judiciary should not stand in the way of participating in the election. His argument that “judiciary and judges are two different issues” provoked boos of “No. Go, Go” from the audience. And the Maulana, who was at the fag end of his very cool speech at the conclusion of a conference of mediapersons, which had produced the declaration, left the podium. [3]

She appealed to the people to take part in the election to ‘expose the regime’s plan to rig the polls’. Despite repeated questions, Ms Bhutto remained non-committal on the issue of the restoration of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. “When democracy will be restored, judiciary will become independent,” she said. The PPP leader said she respected Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other judges as they stood against tyranny, but there were several other constitutional issues pending even before Nov 3.[4]

As per my humble opinion the other constitutional issues is only one issue and that is National Reconciliation Ordinance.

About the APDM’s demand for restoration of Supreme Court to its pre-Nov 3 position, Maulana Fazal said:

Maulana Fazlur Rahman [JUI-F]

“We support the independence of judiciary and not restoration of judges. The sacked judges, including the Supreme Court Chief Justice, had taken oath under PCO. The present lot has also done the same.” [5]

One wonders how should we take the support of MMA [Jamat-e-Islami and Jamita-e-Ulmai Islam (JUI-F) allies of General Musharraf in NWFP-Baluchistan with PML-Q from 2002 to 2007] to the General’s 17th Constitutional Amendment i.e. Legal Framework Order [LFO]. If CJ Iftikhar is guilty than what about the Lease Holders of Paradise and Gatekeepers of Hell i.e. Pakistani Mullahs. Benazir Bhutto has no shame whatsoever when a nincompoop and dilettante like Imran Khan say [if Benazir Bhutto boycotted the elections then he would help end her corruption cases] [6]

Ansar Abbasi has described Benazir Bhutto and Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman in a best possible way;

“But Benazir Bhutto, despite calling once the deposed Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, as her (serving) CJ, has lost the slogan and turned ‘pragmatic’. She now demands the independence of the judiciary. Maulana Fazlur Rehman is lucky here not to have committed anything in favour of the deposed judges. But if any of his statements, favouring the pre-November 3 judiciary, has appeared in the media, then it must be a figment of the reporter(s)’ ‘imagination.’ [7]

References and Notes.

Rigging to harm country’s integrity: Benazir By Mohammed Riaz December 02, 2007 [1]


http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/02/top5.htm

BB’s bid to meet deposed CJ foiled, PPP workers police clash Saturday November 10, 2007 (2124 PST) [2]

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?194273

Cry for free media sparks battle cries By Anwar Mansuri December 2, 2007. [3]

http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/02/nat16.htm

BB links poll boycott to ‘common goal’: Five-point manifesto unveiled By Amir Wasim
December 01, 2007 [4]


http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/01/top2.htm

Boycott not to benefit APDM, says Fazl By Ahmed Hassan and Ashraf Mumtaz December 01, 2007 [5]

http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/01/top3.htm

Imran to help end cases against Benazir if she boycotts polls Sunday, December 02, 2007, Zeeqaad 21, 1428 A.H. [6]

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=11498

Benazir, Fazl are cast in the same mould Comment By Ansar Abbasi [7]

Sunday, December 02, 2007, Zeeqaad 21, 1428 A.H.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=11503

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