The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is unacceptable. The government has no right to erase corruption cases against Bhutto. There should be a fair and independent trial and she should be tried for crimes committed against the people of Pakistan. Whilst it is true that everything can be compromised in Pakistan (such are the gory politics of third world countries), this was broad daylight robbery, there were no attempts to conceal, Bhutto, her cronies and her clyptomaniac husband Zardari unabashedly and systematically plundered and looted the country. Pakistani women were ecstatic when she was elected prime-minister, she was the flicker of hope for millions of much-maligned, and mistreated women of Pakistan, needless to say BB's two terms were an utter disappointment to their cause. Married shortly before being elected, BB is perhaps the only woman-prime-minister in the world who honey-mooned and procreated during her tenureship. With no experience in statesmanship and too many other things going on in her life, she ran the country into shambles. The people of Pakistan cannot and should not forget it!
PPP workers are ecstatic about her arrival planned on 18th, of October, at Karachi airport. There will be much jubilation and celebration in her ranks, but the rest of us will be scrutinizing her closely. After living for eight years in opulent and luxurious self-exile she will discover, to her disdain that times have changed, Pakistan is no longer her personal jageer, the press is more free than it has ever been. She has a lot to answer to the people of Pakistan who will look upon her not with love but with mistrust and skepticism.
It is an open secret that USA is manouvering the reconciliation between Musharraf and Benazir, in an attempt to bring together two secular forces against extremism in Pakistan. BB has openly admitted that she has held a series of meetings with Richard Boucher, the US assistant secretary of state. Inspite of hating the army for hanging her father, she is quiet open to some kind of power-sharing deal with Musharraf. With her billion dollar swiss account frozen, she desperately wants all charges against her to be dropped. Musharraf has no love for the Bhuttos either. Syed Musharrafuddin (Musharraf's father) was suspended from a senior post at the embassy in Jakarta by Z. A.Bhutto on unspecified charges. Although this happened three decades ago, Musharraf still hates senior Bhutto for dishonoring his father and has labeled him a fascist in his book "In The Line of Fire".
On the other hand Britain's support of Benazir and Nawaz is nothing short of infuriating. The International community is fully aware of the three cases pending againsts BB outside of Pakistan: First are the illegal commissions taken by Zardari and BB from Swiss firms SGS and Cotecna, the couple is accused of aggravated money laundering in Switzerland. Second, is in Spain BB and Rehman Malik indicted for money laundering and violating UN sanctions for 'Oil for Food' regime during Saddam Hussain's government, and third are charges in United Kingdom of stealing funds obtained from trading in drugs. Would the British and Americans ever tolerate, thieving and conniving leaders and prime-minister for their own country? Certainly not! So why this double standard? Why should Pakistanis have to accept corrupt ex-prime-ministers who did more harm to their country then good?
An Islamic country that is also a nuclear power, perhaps makes Pakistan the most dangerous country on earth. U.S needs Musharraf as an ally against global terrorism. That being said Musharraf's soft military dictorship, can be legitimized (to some extent) by including civilian trappings, and PPP has to be woed for that purpose. Only time will tell whether BB is indispensible to Musharraf's regime or not, and how successful this hybrid form of government will be.
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