Benazir Bhutto, 1953-2007

Hey yaars,

While I'm sure most of you have watched the news today, it is with sadness that I write a post regarding Benazir Bhutto. She was assassinated following a rally in Rawalpindi Thursday morning. Inna lillahi wa inna illahi raji'oon (To Allah we belong and to him is our return).

By no means am I a political pundit, but I've always been keen on politics, which isn't difficult when you have to sit at family functions with 'uncles'. Much of my early knowledge of Pakistani history was through my Dad and through that I read up on the fascinating dynamic of the country's political history. It became very clear that the Bhutto family was a large part of the nation's history, and today unfortunately will be the beginning of another sad chapter.

While I admittedly was not a fan of Benazir, I feel much sadness for such a terrible event. These actions only serve as evidence to outsiders that Pakistan is in a retarding direction, and this utter madness must come to and end. It's saddening to know that she was assissinated in Liaqat Bagh, an infamous tribute to the site where the first Pakistani PM was assassinated. To add to the tragedy, like her father, she dies at the hands of a murderer, and not peacefully.

The country has announced three days of mourning for her passing, which I hope is a time for the nation to reflect. Instead of the expected rioting in Sindh and Balochistan (her provincial strongholds), I hope people can find a way to channel their aggression into arousing change through proper methods. It serves no purpose to loot a bank or burn down a KFC, it only encourages fanatics to continue this lunacy. I also hope that while people mourn her passing, we don't forget to keep an even keel. She was no hero or saviour of the country (as you may be led to believe), though I believe she had a vision for Pakistan different than the current regime. Respect her for her legacy, which while tumultuous, was truly remarkable.