Millions of political workers were gathered in Karachi as the former Prime Minister and Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto landed on Karachi airport Today. She reached her homeland after a power-sharing deal with General Pervez Musharraf was finalized.
Thousands of security forces were deployed by the government and the city of Karachi was completely decorated with welcoming banners by her party workers to welcome their leader.
Thirty years ago, she was given the biggest welcome after her landing on Lahore airport during the rule of the then dictator General Ziaulhaq. Then she was in her country to counter the dictatorship.
Her father, former PM Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was the most popular politician of the country who was later removed from government and then hanged by a military dictator Gen. Zia.
Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto is returning this time with a lot of challenges. Though most of the cases against her are removed by the government and a political amnesty was given to her by the newly created National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), yet the Ordinance is suspended by Supreme Court which created some hurdles for her returning.
Another problem is that the General Musharraf’s Muslim League Q cannot is not able to bear the presence of Benazir Bhutto and the country’s all time popular Peoples’ Party. That is why they tried their best to make the deal a failure and isolate Gen. Musharraf.
It is expected that Peoples Party will be the winner of the next General Election which is being held in the start of 2008. The biggest challenge she and her party will face is the growing militancy and extremism.
A militant group, led by Baitullah Mehsood, has already threatened of suicide attacks on her. A suicide attack has already taken place on her party workers in Islamabad when they were preparing to welcome the country’s disabled Chief Justice, who was later reinstated.
It is clear that Benazir Bhutto has good experience to counter militancy and terrorism because militant movements and extremism was fully crushed when she was Prime Minister of Pakistan. Contrary to other Pakistani politicians, she is a liberal minded experienced politician and enemy of extremism and terrorism. The other so-called politicians are secular as well as pro-militants in the same time.
The only negative point of this whole episode is that Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto is returning under a deal with a military dictator and it weakens her political position.