Baymisaal Qalabaziyan

WEDNESDAY, Nov 7, 2007: “I only want that the arrested judiciary should decide the cases,” (when asked if she would accept a decision by PCO judges on important cases like then General Musharraf’s eligibility and the NRO); “When we talk about revival of [the] Constitution, we talk about restoration of [sacked] judges.” — Benazir Bhutto; at Naheed Khan’s farmhouse, Islamabad.

Sunday, Nov 11, 2007: “Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and all other judges who refused to take oath under the PCO should be reinstated and orders for their house arrest lifted.” — Benazir Bhutto; outside the Judges Enclave, Islamabad.

Friday, Nov 16, 2007: The frightening John Negroponte, who made quite a name for himself when he was US ambassador to Honduras and the Nicaraguan Contra insurgents were training guerrillas on Honduran soil, arrives in Islamabad the Beautiful. Instead of calling on Benazir personally as scheduled — she even came hotfoot to Islamabad the Beautiful for the occasion — he merely calls her on the telephone on the 17th.

Thursday, Dec 13, 2007: “Judges come and go just like Justices Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui and Nasir Aslam Zahid who refused to take oath under the PCO. If any judge wants to do politics he should set up a political party.” — Benazir Bhutto; Bilawal House, Karachi.

What in God’s name did Negroponte say to Benazir Bhutto to make this woman, known far and wide for her raw courage, this daughter of a fearless father, take that rather abrupt U-turn? What did Negroponte say that has struck the fear of God in her?

The above lines are from Kamran Shafi’s column on Dawn “Boycott, that’s what” on 18th December, 2008. And he sums it up quite nicely. Benazir is desperate for the Kursi and John Negroponte did nothing but just told her on phone that were she to become prime minister and were she to get away with her corruption, she had to remember the deal of Dubai. She at once came to her senses, and somersaulted as usual. I feel really pity for this woman. She is insane about power.

She spoke earlier in the favor of judges doesn’t mean that she had any love lost for judiciary. She became jealous of Aitezaz Ahsan and tried to mimic him. But there is a distinction between donkeys and horses.