This is a Guest Voice column by The Pakistani Spectator. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers.
NOTE: Today is the chehlum of Benazir. Chehlum means 40 days after death. It’s an important event in Pakistan.
Chehlum of Benazir Bhutto
by The Pakistani Spectator
Time runs very fast, and yes it’s the biggest healer, but the wound inflicted by untimely demise of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto came as a shock to the whole world.
She was a woman who was straddling the divides in the country, which were ripped open due to suicide attacks and bomb blasts. She was a moderate who was trying to mediate between the forces of status quo and the forces of change. She could have, that is, if terrorists hadn’t murdered her on 27th of December, just 40 days ago.
Pakistan has entirely changed after tragic and shocking death, really it is. Pakistanis have grown more touche towards democracy and their rights and their hearts are smoldering for change. Dukhtar-e-Mashriq (Daughter of the East) gave away her life for the cause of democracy. Pakistan saw a wave of violence after terrorists killed her ruthlessly in broad day light. Or was it the sun-roof lever of SUV?
She was the singular hope of the millions of people in this country, and now she has passed her will to millions of Pakistanis, who passionately follow her sayings and statements. There is no way the PPP will now lose the election, given the strong sympathy wave resulting from Mohtarma’s assassination — but we have to see beyond it. We need to make sure that we fulfill Benazir’s dream of progressive Pakistan shining with true democracy and rule of law.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.