Agreed DLS.

We are familiar with “show trials” (and consider what Bush-haters have said about the trial of Hussein and of his execution), as well as other misuses of formal processes (Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and his rubber-stamp parliament).

Happy Holidays yourself from frigid Iowa.

The words mean different things in the English language, Swaraaj. Bhutto’s father was executed after being convicted of a crime. His daughter was assassinated. If you are truly unclear as to the difference, the Merriam-Webster dictionary can be found online here. Check the transitive verbs “assassinate” (defn. #2) and “execute” (defn. #3) for clarification.

It’s not naivete to use precise language, rather than corrupting and conflating language for rhetorical purposes. Nor is it even remotely naive to note such corruption and conflation of language being used for rhetorical purposes. Quite the opposite–the naive would accept such corrupt and conflationary usage without ever noting the distinction.

Yes, as I noted quite clearly in my comment, Bhutto’s father may well have been framed of a crime of which he was innocent, wrongfully accused and convicted for political or other purposes. I don’t know if he was in truth guilty or innocent of that accusation, and I sincerely doubt if you do either. The deck was certainly stacked against him regardless of his actual guilt or innocence.

But he was not assassinated. He was executed.

“Murder,” “assassination,” and “execution” are frequently mis-substituted by the uninformed and by sensationalists, as well as by those opposed to the death penalty.

I am not at all surprised that there are people in the world who believe that even under a military dictator difference should be made between the above mentioned words. Yes, these words acquire different meaning in a democracy.

There has to be some limit to an individual’s naivette. If one says that the Supreme Court ordered the ‘hanging’ of Bhutto’s father, the question is were there independent judges under the military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq?

Why did Pervez Musharraf change the Supreme Court judges and brought in compliant judges? Elementary my dear chaps…But maybe those who live in a different world and different culture have no clue about different systems/countries, including dictatorships.

Unless someone looks at how family and tribal relations affect the Pakistan People’s Party, then it is impossible to understand politics.