Bhuttoism is an ideology, which surges like blood in our bodies. The slogans of “Jeay Bhutto” send frissons to the enemies of democracy. Nevertheless, when one unfastens the brutal myth of the far-fetched Bhutto heroism; one ends up kaput, with a derelict empathy. It gets implausible to count the tears, when one emerges to unwrap the very fable. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – Aah….The allegory begins!

“The High Seas are free for all” – with this intrepid avowal, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto spoke for mankind at an International Conference in Geneva in March, 1958. Bhutto emerged on the world stage as Leader of the Pakistan Delegation to the UN in 1959.  To muster the support for Kashmir issue he successfully toured China, Britain, Egypt and Ireland.  He also held a series of talks with the Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh.    He was appointed Foreign Minister in 1963 and remained at that post until his resignation in June 1966. Bhutto made ineffaceable indentations on world community by his inimitable oratorical skills in United Nation’s General Assembly and the Security Council. He had the vision to build a strategic relationship with China at a time when it was isolated.  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto believed in an independent Foreign Policy which had hitherto been the hand maiden of the Western Powers.  During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Pakistan and Iran cemented a special relationship.  His opposition to the Tashkent accord between India and Pakistan led to his resignation from the government, as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto believed in a Foreign Policy of bilateralism in which no state would be entitled to interfere in Pakistan’s relations with other states.

 The anecdote of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s accomplishments is certainly too protracted. However, evoking his surfacing as “the leader of the people of Pakistan” – “Quaid e Awaam” can absorb oceans of ink. His historical struggle against the vicious government of Ayub Khan merits recognition. Indeed, it was only Pakistan Peoples Party, which managed to bring the politics to the chalets of the deprived and granted them a say in the affairs of the state. The very manifesto of the party glimmers and outshines, till the very day, and stands for perpetuity.

After the fall of Dhaka on December 16, 1971, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lucratively placed the derailed nation back on the track by renovating national institutions. Formed in 1947, the state had failed to pass an effectual and undisputed statute even after three decades of its establishment.  Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s lasting achievement was the unanimous adoption of the Constitution in 1973.  He established the  Pakistan Steel Mills, Heavy Mechanical Complex Taxila,  Port Qasim Authority, Quaid-e-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open University, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant; thus,  invigorating the  prosperity, integrity and security of Pakistan.  Using his familiarity as Foreign Minister, Bhutto cemented Pakistan’s relation with Afro-Asian and Islamic countries and by 1976 had emerged as the Leader of the Third World.

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the initiator of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Even a layman is aware of what he so eminently nattered: “We will eat grass and make a bomb”. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was inaugurated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as President of Pakistan at the end of 1972 but long before, as Minister for Fuel, Power and National Resources, he has played a key role in setting up of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The Kahuta facility was also established by Bhutto. Under his guidance and leadership, Pakistan developed into the unique Muslim State with a nuclear capability for which he paid with his life.  In his book “If I am assassinated” written from the Death Cell, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto revealed how Kissinger had said “We will make an example of you”. 

The Pakistan People’s Party won the elections held in 1977 with a large majority; but the conspirators soon joined hands with Zia ul Haq at the behest of foreign powers who feared Bhutto’s capacity of uniting the Third World countries and sought to punish him for developing Pakistan’s nuclear capacity, and imposed Martial Law upon the country on 5th July, 1977. Soon afterwards, Bhutto was arrested and on 18th March, 1978, was sentenced to death in a politically motivated murder trial. The majority of original Court was for acquittal but was whittled down to a 4-3 verdict by the retirement of two judges.   Despite appeals of clemency from several world leaders, Bhutto was executed on 4th April, 1979 – one of the worst examples of the judiciary, committing a murder!

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the leader of the masses, and could sense the soreness of the demoralized slice of the public. He left behind the apparition of Pakistan, free from starvation, paucity, illiteracy, bigotry and radicalism. In his assassination, the third world was deprived of its idol – one, who could undauntedly speak for the just. Nevertheless, he did leave behind an undying bequest in the form of Pakistan Peoples Party and billions of adherents worldwide. Bhutto’s visualization would always remain the PPP’s undertaking and the flag bearers of the Pakistan Peoples Party have always given their blood to escort this dream to materialisation. Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the voice of the awaam, he is immortal – the soil of Garhi Khuda Bux does provide the proof.
Shaheed Bhutto’s history doesn’t necessitate to be quoted on documents or stated in the verdicts of the courts – it is engraved too intensely on the soil, for which he and thousands of his disciples laid down their lives.

Jab Tak Souraj Chand Rehay Ga,
Bhutto Tera Naam Rehay Ga!

Happy Birthday, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto! You live on with us, for “To live in the hearts of those you leave behind is not to die”…

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