The first child of Z. A. Bhutto and Begum Nusrat was born on this day, 21st June 1952, with rosy cheeks. He was named Benazir – a Persian and Urdu name that exactly means ‘matchless, unique, and unparalleled’. Noticing the colour of her cheeks, the happy father immediately called her Pinky, which became her nickname in the house and with her parents during their lifetime. Benazir proved herself to be a brilliant child and a matchless political icon, carrying forward the Bhutto dynasty’s legacy.

We lost her 19 years ago on 27 December to terrorists and suicide bombers – she had vowed to purge the country of their scourge. Were these terrorists acting alone, or were some dark faces of the deep state involved in this tragic act of eliminating Bhuttos? First, they executed the senior Bhutto; second, they killed his elder son; and third, his political successor and the heir of Bhuttoism. Can this be a coincidence? This chain of murderous events reflects minute planning in the ruthless barracks of the agents of death and blood to perpetuate their capture of state resources at the cost of the common populace.

These dark forces fear the power of the populace and abhor the people’s awareness. They cannot tolerate political parties with strong roots in the masses. They have been in this game since the very inception of this country. They inherited willing partners, created and trained in the art of political adaptability and sycophancy by the British colonisers to rule their possessions.

These political dynasties are now in the fourth or fifth generation and have been shamelessly propping up undemocratic forces, partnering in their autocratic and sham democratic rule. They are corrupt to........

© The Friday Times