<i>The legacy of Benazir</i>
It is expected that a win should always be accompanied by magnanimity. What was painful was to see a tribal mentality on the part of the victorious PPP and especially Muslim League (N). No one expected a hit below the belt. It is natural for a political leader to gain and lose popularity. Personal involvements may or may not play any major role in it. It is the public adulation and public enduring interest that matter most. I was a little bit surprised that someone was commenting so harshly on a dead person. Benazir Bhutto was the prime minister of Pakistan at a most exciting time and we all liked her smiling demeanour. Her and her government's attitude toward Bangladesh was extremely friendly. She visited Bangladesh with her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, as prime minister during the regime of President H.M Ershad. She sounded cordial, compromising and almost willing to make atonement for the past mistakes, especially those committed by her father the late ZA Bhutto. The problem of Pakistan is that they could never end their experiment with the kind of govt. that they want. They were trying with the federal system without clearly defining the relationship between the centre and the provinces, especially when East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, was with them. The power sharing arrangement between the president and the prime minister never allowed the president to establish a stable govt. This problem remains still today and would perhaps remain so in future also. What were going to be the Islamic principles in an Islamic republic also remained unclear. Benazir Bhutto, despite, her drawbacks, stood up high as a true leader of the East, trying her best to blend the eastern with the western culture and values. She was farsighted and was able to lead the nation. She exhibited rare qualities of leadership. The new phenomenon can be described as a new Asian drama where discredited politicians bounce back with bigger and bigger support. Thaksin in Thailand, Bhutto in Pakistan and who knows there may be many more whom the people would forgive and forget and bring back to limelight. If people's will is supreme, then a change in their attitude and value system has to be respected.
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