Pakistan Press Welcomes Bhutto’s Return; Says Blasts “Foretaste” of Future
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Benazir Bhutto, returned to the country on 18 October, eight years after a self-imposed exile. An emotional Bhutto wept on her arrival at Karachi airport and said she had returned to serve the people of Pakistan.
Bhutto’s homecoming was overshadowed by two blasts which took place late on 18 October at a massive rally organised in Karachi to celebrate her arrival. At least 135 people were killed and hundreds injured in the blasts. Though Bhutto escaped unhurt, several top PPP leaders sustained serious injuries.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has strongly condemned the blasts and termed them a conspiracy against democracy. Bhutto has demanded the sacking of the Intelligence Bureau chief Brig Ijaz Shah, her party spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar quoted her as saying. Bhutto’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari, blamed “a Pakistani intelligence agency” for the blasts. The Nation newspaper reported that the PPP has announced a three-day countrywide period of mourning.
“Foretaste of things to come”
The moderate Daily Times newspaper, published from Lahore, said in a “news analysis” on 19 October that the blasts seemed to be the handiwork of Al-Qa’idah. Headlined “Significance of Benazir’s homecoming”, the paper said the blasts were a “foretaste of things to come”.
“They are the handiwork of Al-Qa’idah, no less than the attempts on the life of General Musharraf in the past. For those Pakistanis who are still obsessed with moral issues, they should serve to focus on the principal and most violent contradiction facing Pakistan in its quest for moderation and democracy”, it said.
In an editorial on 18 October, the Daily Times had discussed threats to Bhutto’s life and quoted her as saying she was not afraid of “the plots to kill her”. She said the South Waziristan warlord Baitullah Mehsud had threatened her directly but he was “just a pawn in a bigger conspiracy” in which the real culprits were “some retired army officers in the establishment”.
Pakistan’s most widely read newspaper Dawn said on 19 October that the coming weeks would show how Bhutto dealt with a whole range of problems.
In an editorial headlined “Return and a challenge”, the paper said: “Pakistan today faces a host of problems, the most critical being terrorism and inflation that is squeezing the people dry. The national reconciliation she has been talking about cannot be achieved by mere rhetoric or by means of an ordinance; it can be achieved by reaching out to political opponents, turning the current political animosities into a result-oriented dialogue, and developing a consensus on such issues as the war in FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas] and on the quantum of provincial autonomy that is at the root of the Baluchistan insurgency. The coming weeks and months will show how deftly the PPP leader handles these issues.”
TV coverage
Private Pakistani TV channels appeared to give more coverage to Bhutto’s return and the blasts than the state-run PTV News. Aaj TV, ARY TV and Geo News TV showed live coverage of Bhutto’s homecoming whereas PTV focused on factual reports on the former premier’s return and on the welcome preparations made by her party. PTV News at 1600 gmt on 18 October quoted Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz as saying that Bhutto’s return would improve the environment of reconciliation and help promote democracy in the country.
Aaj TV showed the two blasts taking place near the truck carrying Bhutto; the first in a private car and the second in another vehicle. At 0904 gmt on 18 October, the channel had also reported that Bhutto’s party supporters had been subjected to a baton-charge by police outside Karachi airport.
Geo News TV on 19 October ran “exclusive” footage of a disfigured head recovered from near the blast site, showing the head in an ambulance.
A few days before Bhutto’s return, the channel had broadcast videos containing criticism of Bhutto’s performance during her previous times in power, 1988-90 and 1993-96. A video still showed a Bhutto look-alike with a smile on her face looking at piles of money. The placard in Urdu said: “Swiss Bank Accounts.”
Urdu language press
The moderate Urdu language newspaper Pakistan welcomed Bhutto’s return, saying on 19 October that it would promote democracy in the country.
“The government decision not to hinder Benazir’s return is satisfactory. Now the government should demonstrate open- heartedness and allow Nawaz Sharif too to come back to the country and lead his party in the next general elections.”
The pro-Islamist newspaper Ausaf said the same day: “The land of Pakistan welcomes Benazir. The land and its people are faced with numerous problems and difficulties. Getting the people out of these hardships should be Benazir’s top priority. She should behave as the leader of the common masses.”
Nawa-e Waqt paper on 18 October also welcomed Bhutto’s return but said her stance was detrimental to her politics. “Bhutto will realize the changes in the political environment and climate as soon as she lands in Pakistan. She will realize how difficult it is to get involved in the politics of the people by becoming a satellite [ally] of Gen Musharraf. It will not take her long either to realize that the soil of Pakistan has become barren for those working for the realization of US objectives. At present, we welcome her because she is returning home after a long time.”
Indian media
Several Indian television channels focused extensively on Bhutto’s return and have also given widespread coverage to the Karachi blasts. The news of the blasts made it to the front page of some Indian newspapers on 19 October.
Sources: As listed
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