BORN to BE HANGED Praise Fo R the Book
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BORN TO BE HANGED Praise fo r the Book While tracing the making of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-the most popular leader of his people, Dr Syeda Hameed easily identifies him as a self-destroying character in a Greek tragedy. But the chief merit of this book lies in explaining the factors contributing to his meteoric rise and the unravelling of his mind through a reading of his prison letters with Dr Mubashir Hasan's help, and how Bhutto, with a Janus like posture, tried to build a socialist castle on the fo undation of Islamic ideology. The guardians of vested interest were not duped; they hanged him fo r shaking their throne. An eye-opener fo r students of Pakistan's muddled politics. -I.A. Rehman, Human Rights Activist and Political Analyst, Pakistan Syeda Hameed's labour of love, spanning two decades, has flowered into a vivid portrayal of one of the most intriguing public figures of South Asia -Asif Noorani, Senior Journalist and Author, Pakistan BORN TO BE HANGE POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO SYEDA HAMEED RUPA Published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2017 7/ 16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 Sales Centres: Allahabad Bcngaluru Chennai Hyderabad Jaipur Kathmandu Kolkata Mumbai Copyright «;l Syeda Hameed 2017 Photo courtesy: Author's collection and Sheba George The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author's own and the facts are as reported by her which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers arc not in any way liable for the same. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-81-291 -xxxx-x First impression 2017 5 4 3 10 9 8 7 6 2 I The moral right of the author has been asserted. Printed in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd India This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher's prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. 'I know the burden on you is heavy but this is inevitable because of the confidence I repose in you and because of your unstinted devotion to the common cause. I hope you don't mind ifI keep pressing you on these matters. As time passes you will be more and more pressed but I am certain you will respond to the call and fulfil all the growing requirements.' Letter from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Mubashir Hasan II September 1968 1l1is book is dedicated to Dr Mubashir Hasan whose life is a testament to this prediction. Contents Prologue ix Introduction xiii Foreword xix 1. The Boy from Larkana 1 2. Rise of the Star 16 3. The Founding Convention 1967 44 4. Sahiwal: The Writ Petition 61 5. Letters from Prison 77 6. The Four P's: Popularity At Peak Price to Pay 107 7. Governance, Grind, Glory 124 8. President's Men: Companions, Contenders, Saboteurs 144 9. There was a Man 177 10. Judicial Murder 189 11. The Quintessence 212 Appendices 1. Life at a Glance 220 2. Chronology of Events 223 Annexures 235 Bibliography 249 Acknowledgements 253 Index 255 Prologue Oh, my children, where are you? For you too, I weep Though I cannot see your faces Knowing the bitter Life men will make for you In the days to come. (Oedipus, self-blinded, addressing his children in Sophocles's Oedipus the King, 5th Century B.C.) As a student of literature, I have always thought of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) as the protagonist of a Greek tragedy. Parallels abound in the stories of Zulfikar of Larl<ana and Oedipus of Thebes. Oedipus had four children; two sons-Eteocles and Polynices, and two daughters-Antigone and lsmene. Zulfikar had four children; two sons-Mir Murtaza and Shahnawaz, and two daughters-Benazir and Sanam. Oedipus, when he came to know the truth of his patricide and incest, blinded himself and went into self-imposed exile. Zulfikar, when he realized his flawed judgment and personal hubris, was already held in a vice, which a virulent regime turned into the noose finally ending him. Oedipus's sons fought over his kingdom and slew each other. Polynices was refused burial by the state. Zulfikar's sons met a similar end. Murtaza was bullet-showered as he was driving into his own house and Shahnawaz was poisoned, far away from home; the assailants of both remain untraced to date. Oedipus's daughter x • BORN TO BE J-IANGED Antigone was sent to death by her uncle Creon fo r disobeying the law of Thebes. Zulfikar'sdaughter Benazir was assassinated on her way back from a public meeting. Both men, larger than life, are victims despite epitomizing qualities which are the antithesis of victimhood-self-confidence, masterfulness and intensity. The Greeks would say they were cursed by the gods; ensnared by fate; their self-destruction resulted from an imbalance in the 'humours' of which they were made. Seven thousand years later, what would we say about our protagonist? The tragic sagas of Antigone and Benazir reverberate through generations. Sophocles, in his drama, has immortalized Antigone. A parallel piece needs to be written on Benazir. Polynices and Murtaza have remained unsung. But that is another story fo r another time. Sir Morrice James was Britain's High Commissioner in Islamabad in the 1960s. He had worked closely with ZAB from 1962 onwards. In his Pakistan Chronicle, he writes, 'Bhutto certainly had the right qualities fo r reaching the heights-drive, ch arm, imagination, a quick and penetrating mind, zest for life, eloquence, energy, strong constitution, a sense of humour and a thick skin. Such a blend is rare anywhere, and Bhutto deserved his swift rise to power: But then he adds, 'There was-how will I put it-a rank odour of hellfire about him. It was a case of Corruptio Op timi Pessima (corruption of the best is the worst of all) I believe that at heart he lacked a sense of the dignity and value of other people; his own self was what counted. I sensed in him ruthlessness and a capacity fo r ill-doing which went fa r beyond what is natural: Finance Minister Mubashir Hasan, a loyal and close associate of ZAB, commented that the above remarks of Morrice James, 'emanate from a man with middle class mind. These are relevant for the sovereign mind only to the limited extent that their practice does not cause violent turbulence in the state to endanger it. The PROLOGUE • xi sovereign's highest interests are strengthening the state against foreign powers, keeping his government strong and staying in power; if possible, expanding both personal and state power. This has priority over all values and powers derived from values. Moral considerations, personal and populist values become secondary to the pursuit of power and staying in power: What then was the tragic flaw which led to the fall of the two protagonists, Oedipus and Zulfikar? In the Greek world, fate rules supreme. Any attempt to question or alter fate is catastrophic. Oedipus was destined to commit fratricide, incest and self mutilation. He was warned by the oracle of his horrible destiny. Being a mortal, he defied the gods and tried to change its course; he challenged fate. This, in the eyes of Thebans and their gods was unforgivable, the flaw that led to tragedy. From 5th Century BC to 1979, almost seven centuries had elapsed when the tragedy of ZAB unfolded. Fate was no longer the human determinant. Human species had evolved to become its own arbiter. Zulfikar's tragic flaw was his arrogance. The Greeks call it hubris, which, from beginning to end, emerges as his tragic flaw. Mubashir Hasan explains this, 'His tragedy lay in assuming that he could exercise sovereign power whereas he had lost almost all of it: Morrice James' last sentence, like the oracle at Delphi, defines the tragedy that flows from his flaw: 'Despite his gifts, I judged that one day Bhutto would destroy himself. When and how, I could not tell. In 1965, I so reported in one of my last dispatches from Pakistan as British High Commissioner. I wrote by way of clinching that Bhutto was born to be hanged. Fourteen years later that was what it turned out to be: At the end of the play, Sophoclean chorus speaks words that elevate tragedy. Its words are applicable to both protagonists. It, thereby, fulfils its role of transporting tragedy to the height of catharsis. We, as witnesses, transcend immediate grief when we learn about Oedipus unriddling the Theban riddle and Zulfikar • BORN TO BE HANGED xii bringing the wretched and ragged of Pakistan to centre stage. 1l1ey both tried to solve the unsolvable, leading to their tragedy and our catharsis. The Greek play ends with the chorus' comment; the chorus stands fo r the audience witnessing what transpired: Dwellers of Thebes, Behold, this is Oedipus, Who unriddled the fa mous riddle, And was a man most notable. What 1J1eban did not envy his good fo rtune? Ye t behold into what a whirlwind of trouble he was hurled! Therefo re, with eyes fixed on the end destined fo r all, Count no one of the race of man happy, Until he has crossed life's border free from pain.