Friday, July 30, 2010
Daughter of the East-Benazir
Friday, January 4, 2008
Life of Benazir Bhutto
Ms Bhutto had a volatile political career
BBC interviews Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto followed her father into politics, and both of them died because of it - he was executed in 1979, she fell victim to an apparent suicide bomb attack.
Her two brothers also suffered violent deaths.
Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are one of the world's most famous political dynasties. Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s.
His government was one of the few in the 30 years following independence that was not run by the army.
Born in 1953 in the province of Sindh and educated at Harvard and Oxford, Ms Bhutto gained credibility from her father's high profile, even though she was a reluctant convert to politics.
She was twice prime minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996.
Stubbornness
On both occasions she was dismissed from office by the president for alleged corruption.
The dismissals typified her volatile political career, which was characterised by numerous peaks and troughs. At the height of her popularity - shortly after her first election - she was one of the most high-profile women leaders in the world.
Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the overwhelmingly male-dominated political establishment.
But after her second fall from power, her name came to be seen by some as synonymous with corruption and bad governance.
Asif Zardari has faced numerous corruption charges
The determination and stubbornness for which Ms Bhutto was renowned was first seen after her father was imprisoned by Gen Zia ul-Haq in 1977, following a military coup. Two years later he was executed after a much criticised trial on charges of conspiring to murder a political opponent.
Ms Bhutto was imprisoned just before her father's death and spent most of her five-year jail term in solitary confinement. She described the conditions as extremely hard.
During stints out of prison for medical treatment, Ms Bhutto set up a Pakistan People's Party office in London, and began a campaign against General Zia.
She returned to Pakistan in 1986, attracting huge crowds to political rallies.
After Gen Zia died in an explosion on board his aircraft in 1988, she became one of the first democratically elected female prime ministers in an Islamic country.
Corruption charges
During both her stints in power, the role of Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, proved highly controversial.
He played a prominent role in both her administrations, and has been accused by various Pakistani governments of stealing millions of dollars from state coffers - charges he denies, as did Ms Bhutto herself.
Many commentators argued that the downfall of Ms Bhutto's government was accelerated by the alleged greed of her husband.
None of about 18 corruption and criminal cases against Mr Zardari has been proved in court after 10 years. But he served at least eight years in jail.
He was freed on bail in 2004, amid accusations that the charges against him were weak and going nowhere.
Ms Bhutto also steadfastly denied all the corruption charges against her, which she said were politically motivated.
She faced corruption charges in at least five cases, all without a conviction, until amnestied in October 2007.
President Pervez Musharraf granted Ms Bhutto and others an amnesty
She was convicted in 1999 for failing to appear in court, but the Supreme Court later overturned that judgement.
Soon after the conviction, audiotapes of conversations between the judge and some top aides of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were discovered that showed that the judge had been under pressure to convict.
Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999 to live abroad, but questions about her and her husband's wealth continued to dog her.
She appealed against a conviction in the Swiss courts for money-laundering.
During her years outside Pakistan, Ms Bhutto lived with her three children in Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004.
She was a regular visitor to Western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.
Army mistrust
Ms Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October 2007 after President Musharraf signed into law an ordinance granting her and others an amnesty from corruption charges.
Observers said the military regime saw her as a natural ally in its efforts to isolate religious forces and their surrogate militants.
She declined a government offer to let her party head the national government after the 2002 elections, in which the party received the largest number of votes.
In the months before her death, she had emerged again as a strong contender for power.
Some in Pakistan believe her secret talks with the military regime amounted to betrayal of democratic forces as these talks shored up President Musharraf's grip on the country.
Others said such talks indicated that the military might at long last be getting over its decades-old mistrust of Ms Bhutto and her party, and interpreted it as a good omen for democracy.
Western powers saw in her a popular leader with liberal leanings who could bring much needed legitimacy to Mr Musharraf's role in the "war against terror".
Unhappy family
Benazir Bhutto was the last remaining bearer of her late father's political legacy.
Her brother, Murtaza - who was once expected to play the role of party leader - fled to the then-communist Afghanistan after his father's fall.
From there, and various Middle Eastern capitals, he mounted a campaign against Pakistan's military government with a militant group called al-Zulfikar.
He won elections from exile in 1993 and became a provincial legislator, returning home soon afterwards, only to be shot dead under mysterious circumstances in 1996.
Benazir's other brother, Shahnawaz - also politically active but in less violent ways than Murtaza - was found dead in his French Riviera apartment in 1985.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Vivid Picture by BBC How Benazir Bhutto was Killed
Vivid eyewitness accounts are continuing to circulate about
exactly how Benazir Bhutto was killed as she left a campaign rally in Rawalpindi
on Thursday.
One of the most direct has come from Getty picture agency
photographer John Moore who had been covering the rally all day.
As he was preparing to leave, he told the London newspaper The
Guardian, he was "shocked" to notice that Ms Bhutto was standing out of her
car's sunroof waving to supporters as her vehicle slowly pushed its way through
the crowds.
He continued: "As this happened, I was aware of Bhutto ducking
back into the car and heard at least two gunshots. I picked up my camera unaware
of exactly what was happening.
"As I did so a bomb detonated next to the car about 30ft (10m)
from where I was in the crowd.
"I kept the motordrive running as I was pushed back in the
crowd, getting pictures of the blast as it went off and crowd members reeling
from it.
"The volume of people stopped me getting any closer."
Many of the pictures he took have since appeared in
newspapers, television and news websites around the world - including this one.
'Kalashnikov'
A BBC correspondent at the rally, Shahzad Malik, said: "I
heard a blast. I rushed across to where so many people were lying injured and
dead."
Speaking from his hospital bed, an unnamed eyewitness gave
this account: "Madame Benazir came outside the gate [after the rally]. After
that there was commotion, there were shots and there was an explosion and then
it was chaos."
 |  The bomber caused carnage (Warning: Graphic content!)
|
Enlarge
Another eyewitness - also unnamed - was even closer: "We were
standing right in front of her. In that instant a young man, fair, about 20 to
21 years of age, he fired a Kalashnikov aiming at BB [Bhutto].
"He was standing beside me, moved a little back, so I thrust
my hand out at him and just then there was a blast.
Asked if it was the suicide bomber himself that he'd seen, he
replied: "I can't really say. Was it him or someone else, I can't say."
A member of Ms Bhutto's PPP party, Mohammad Zaman, told the
BBC: "The meeting went perfectly well. She delivered her speech, she came down
the stage and got on the land-cruiser.
"She started coming out, we heard three [shots] fired, and
after that the bomb blast went [off].
"And when I came down the road I saw there was loads and loads
of injured. And I really thought that her vehicle was safe and left the place
safely. I was hoping she would be okay."
In fact, she had been fatally injured.
PPP supporters have been accusing President Musharraf's
government of failing to protect Ms Bhutto.
But this has been vehemently denied by the acting Interior
Minister, retired General Hamid Narwaz Khan.
'Dedicated security'
He told the BBC the government had had reports of threats to
her life, and had passed them on.
|  In the heat of the moment I think she got up just to wave at her supporters, and that is the time and the chance which the suicide bomber got to hit her  Hamid Narwaz Khan acting Interior Minister |
He continued: "She was protected, and we had provided a
dedicated officer... to take care of her security.
"Her rallies were also secured.
"This rally in Liaqat Bagh ... the venue was totally secured
through screen doors and a bullet-proof rostrum. All other security arrangements
had been made with a very large deployment of police.
"She came out after the rally and sat in her vehicle and the
movement started.
"Even at that time there were about 20 police escorting her,
and the security officer assigned to her was travelling with her in the same
vehicle."
The minister went on to describe how the road was blocked by a
group of her supporters, and Ms Bhutto stood up through the open sunroof of her
car to greet them.
"That was the time she was hit by the suicide bomber," he
said.
"This was the best we could do," he added. "There were four
other people travelling with her in the same vehicle ... if she had stayed down
she would be safe, as all four of them are absolutely scratch-free.
"But in the heat of the moment I think she got up just to wave
at her supporters, and that is the time and the chance which the suicide bomber
got to hit her."
THE ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO  1. Benazir Bhutto had addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in Rawalpindi's Liaqat Bagh Park 2. As her convoy was leaving the park via the rear gate onto Murree road, she was shot twice in the neck and chest 3. The gunman then blew himself up killing at least 16 people 4. Ms Bhutto was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 1816 local time. |
Al-Qaeda Claimed Benzir's Killing Responsibility
The interior ministry said it had intelligence indicating Baitullah Mehsud, whom it called an "al-Qaeda leader", was behind the killing.
Baitullah Mehsud is a wanted pro-Taleban militant leader based in the South Waziristan tribal region.
Ms Bhutto has been buried in her family tomb amid scenes of mass grieving.
Video of her last moments before the attack in Rawalpindi was shown at the news conference given in Islamabad by the interior ministry.
Addressing reporters, ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said the primary cause of Ms Bhutto's death appeared to have been a blow to her head as she fell and not bullets or shrapnel.
He added that all possible security arrangements had been put in place for Ms Bhutto.
Her supporters say the government did not do enough to protect her.
After a previous attempt on her life in October, Ms Bhutto accused rogue elements of the Pakistani intelligence services of involvement.
Benazir Bhutto is Assassinated
Benazir Bhutto
28 दिसम्बर 2007
एजेंसियां
पाकिस्तान की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री बंनजीर भुट्टो की जघन्य हत्या की खबरों से आज के
सभी पाकिस्तान अखबार भरे हुए हैं। सभी अखबारों ने हत्या की खबर को प्रमुखता देने के
साथ ही इस हत्या पर अपने संपादकीय भी लिखे हैं जिसमें इस हत्या के बाद कई सवाल खड़े
किए गए हैं।
कराची से निकलने वाला प्रतिष्ठित अंग्रेजी दैनिक ‘डॉन’ लिखता है
---
बेनजीर भुट्टो की मौत हो गई। बेनजीर की मौत अपने समर्थकों के बीच में हुई जो उन्हें
और उनके पिता को बहुत इज्जत करते थे, जिससे उनको ताकत मिलती थी और जिनकी वजह से वे
एक नेता के रुप में स्थापित थीं। वे इसलिए मारी गईं क्यों कि सरकार उन्हें पर्याप्त
सुरक्षा नहीं प्रदान कर सकी।
वे एक हत्यारे के हाथों और एक आत्मघाती बम से मारी गईं। अल्लाह जानता है कि ये किसके
इशारे पर हुआ। उन्होंने ये कहने की हिम्मत दिखाई कि वर्तमान सरकार की नीतियों की
वजह से राजनीतिक स्थान जो खाली हो गए थे उसे चरमपंथियों ने भर दिया है और अब उसे
वापस पाने की जरुरत है।
एक डूबे हुए दिल से,एक खालीपन से, विनाश और उदासी के बीच से उठने वाले कई सवालों के
जवाब देने की जरुरत है। क्या वे इसलिए मारी गईं क्योंकि वे एक महिला राजनेता थीं जो
धारा के खिलाफ तैर रही थीं? क्या उन्हें इसलिए मारा गया क्योंकि उन्हें सत्ता से दो
बार बेदखल करने और भ्रष्टाचार के आरोप लगाए जाने के बाद भी वे फिर से सत्ता में
वापस आती नजर आ अर्ही थीं? क्या वे इसलिए मारी गईं कि वे अपने लाखों ऎसे समर्थकों
की उम्मीदों का प्रतिनिधित्व कर रही थीं जो बहुत से सपने अधूरे रह जाने के बावजूद
भी उनसे पूरी तरह से जुड़े हुए थे?
वे ठीक उसी जगह से कुछ ही गज की दूरी पर मारी गईं, जहां लियाकत अली खान ( पाकिस्तान
के प्रथम प्रधानमंत्री) एक हत्यारे की गोली से मारे गए थे। उस जगह से करीब एक मील
की दूरी पर जहां जुल्फिकार अली भुट्टो ने फांसी पर लटकने के बाद अपनी अंतिम सांस ली
थी। हम लियाकत अली खान की हत्या के बारे में कुछ नहीं जानते और जुल्फिकार अली भुट्टो
की मौत के बारे में भी बहुत कम ही जानते हैं। बस इतना ही कि उनके समर्थक कहते हैं
कि उनकी मौत “न्यायिक हत्या” थी।
श्रीमती भुट्टो की दृढ़ता के लिए ये एक श्रद्धांजलि होगी कि उन्होंने अपने पिता की
महान परंपरा को पुरुष प्रधान समाज में जिंदा रखा। उन्होंने पाकिस्तान के आम आदमी की
जरुरतों की बात हमेशा उठाई और उन्हें एक इज्जत की जिंदगी दी। उन्होंने अपने पिता की
तरह ही सभी मुद्दों को बड़ी बहादुरी के साथ उठाया।
दैनिक ‘दि न्यूज’ के संपादकीय में कहा गया-
पाकिस्तान के इतिहास में गुरुवार का दिन एक काले अध्याय के रूप में सामने आया, जब
उसी जगह पाकिस्तान की एक लोकप्रिय प्रधानमंत्री बेनजीर भुट्टो को गोली मार दी गई जहां
से कुछ सौ गज की दूरी पर उनके पिता को सैनिक तानाशाह ने फांसी पर लटका दिया था।
दुर्भाग्यशाली पूरब की बेटी, देश की लोकप्रिय अकेली नेता जिसने पाकिस्तानी संघ
का नेतृत्व किया। निर्भीक और निडर, लोकतंत्र और मानवाधिकारों के लिए लड़नेवाली।
एकमात्र नेता जिसने ठीक से पाकिस्तानी संघ का नेतृत्व किया। उसे रावलपिंडी में एक
हत्यारे द्वारा मार डाला गया। उन्हें वतन वापसी के सिर्फ 70 दिनों दिनों बाद मार
दिया गया। उनकी मृत्यु हम सबके लिए अविश्वसनीय और स्तब्धकारी है।
उर्दू दैनिक ‘नवाए वक्त’ का संपादकीय-
इस राष्ट्रीय हादसे पर पाकिस्तान ही नहीं पूरी दुनिया में शोक प्रकट किया जा रहा
है। अमेरिका,यूरोप के बड़े नेताओं और राष्ट्र संघ की सुरक्षा परिषद ने पाकिस्तानियों
और भुट्टो के खानदान को अपनी श्रद्धांजलि भेजी हैं। देश में सभी राजनीतिक और
धार्मिक नेताओं ने, जिनमें बेनजीर के विरोधी भी शामिल हैं, इस हत्या से सदमें में
हैं। देश में तीन दिनों का राष्ट्रीय शोक घोषित किया गया है।
पाकिस्तान पीपुल्स पार्टी के कार्यकर्ता नाराज हैं, भड़के हुए हैं। देश के कई हिस्सों
में तोड़-फोड़ और आगजनी के हादसे भी हुए हैं,ये प्राकृतिक प्रतिक्रिया है। इसके
बावजूद इस मौके पर जोश से ज्यादा होश की जरुरत है। संयम के साथ इस हादसे पर गौर करने
की जरुरत है।
ये सिर्फ एक खानदान का दुःख नहीं है, ये पूरे देश का दुःख है। यह खतरा भी सामने आया
है कि आम चुनाव टाले जा सकते हैं। जबकि अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति जार्ज बुश ने कहा है
कि इस हादसे की वजह से चुनाव नहीं टालने चाहिए। इस समय राष्ट्रपति परवेज मुशर्रफ और
देश की कार्यकारी सरकार के लिए देशप्रेम के इम्तेहान का समय है। हर इंसान और संगठन
को अपनी जाति और संगठन से ऊपर उठकर राष्ट्रहित के बारे में सोचने की जरुरत है।
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bhutto Assassinated-A tragedy to the World
Bhutto Assassinated
BHUTTO ASSASSINATED
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gazes towards a crowd of
thousands of supporters at a campaign rally minutes before she was
assassinated in a bomb attack December 27, 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan
The Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who has been killed, aged
54, in a bomb attack at a political rally in Rawalpindi - the northern town
where she had once gone to school - died as she had lived, plunged deep in
the chaotic political life of Pakistan, a victim, as well as in part a
culprit, of its chronic instability. She was back in the country after
spending more than eight years in exile to avoid corruption charges.
Article continues
She was born in the southern port of Karachi, the daughter of Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto, an ambitious minor landowner in the province of Sindh who founded
one of Pakistan's two major political parties and went on to become the
country's prime minister. His daughter was never destined for an easy or
uneventful life. One of her abiding memories, described in her memoirs,
Daughter of the East, was saying goodbye to her father in a prison cell
hours before his execution in 1979 by the military dictator Zia ul-Haq.
Subsequently, Bhutto herself spent long periods under house arrest or in
solitary confinement before her exile.
Yet much of her youth was happy. Educated at elite English-language
Pakistani schools, several run by nuns, she lived the life of an indulged
and adored wealthy child and teenager. Like many of her social class, she
was sent overseas for her further education. From 1969 to 1973 she attended
Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and then Harvard University,
where she obtained a degree in comparative government before, from 1973 to
1977, studying philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall,
Oxford, where as a natural speaker, she was elected president of the Oxford
Union. Those who spent time with her over the years became used to her
lengthy, eloquent and sometimes well-informed monologues. Bhutto was also
known for driving around Oxford in an open-top sports car.
But the innocent days of youthful political activism did not last long. Her
father was dismissed as prime minister in 1975, sentenced to death two years
later and hanged by Zia despite international outrage on April 4 1979. A
year later, Bhutto's brother Shahnawaz died in suspicious circumstances in
the south of France.
After a long period under house arrest in Pakistan, she managed to leave for
Britain, basing herself in a flat at the Barbican in the City of London. In
exile, she took on the leadership of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), the
party her father had founded, and on December 18 1987 married, in an
arranged match that surprised many, another young southern Pakistani
aristocrat, Asif Ali Zardari, who had a reputation of being something of a
playboy. They went on to have three children: Bilawal, Bakhtwar, and Aseefa.
When Zia was killed in a plane crash in 1988, the way was open for a return
to democratic rule in Pakistan. Bhutto, still only 35, returned to her
homeland to lead the PPP to victory in elections. Around the world she was
feted as young, charismatic, moderate and one of the first
democratically-elected woman leaders of a major Muslim nation. Her perfect
English, her undoubted good looks and her charm helped too. People Magazine
included her in its list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.
But celebrations were short-lived. Political opponents and elements within
Islamist parties and the military worked hard to destabilise her
inexperienced administration, and within two years, her first government had
been dismissed amid allegations of corruption and incompetence. She had had
little time to enact any of her campaign promises of social, economic and
political reform. Though the accusations did not necessarily involve Bhutto
personally, her husband earned the nickname Mr Ten Percent. Zardari denied
all allegations against him.
Three years later, Bhutto's PPP was returned to power again - with the same
opposition, the same manipulation, and the same results.
In 1996, the then president once again dismissed her administration, again
citing allegations of corruption and gross incompetence. Bhutto's opponents
spent millions investigating her business affairs, one mystery in particular
- that of the exact ownership of a large manor house in southern England,
purchased for millions of pounds to which crates of Bhutto family heirlooms
were shipped.
Controversy also focused on the exact role of the Bhutto government in the
formation and success of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, which formed
in 1994 and took Kabul in 1996, a few days after the dismissal of Bhutto's
second administration. She maintained that no military or logistic
assistance was offered to the movement, though there was continual
"political engagement". This, she said in one of her last interviews, was
"logical and reasonable" as it was important to try and moderate the
movement and use it to stabilise Afghanistan.
Out of power from 1996, Bhutto was vulnerable to moves to convict her on the
outstanding corruption charges. A conviction in 1999 for failing to appear
in court was later overturned after audiotapes revealed heavy political
pressure placed on the principal judge by top aides of then prime minister
Nawaz Sharif. Increasingly isolated, she left Pakistan in 1999 to live in
Dubai and London. The military coup that autumn made any immediate return
difficult. General Pervez Musharraf, who took charge, made little secret of
his contempt for the civilian politicians whom he believed had nearly ruined
Pakistan. However, the PPP organisation remained intact with a strong power
base in its heartland of the southern rural Sindh province along with more
rural parts of the Punjab where the Bhutto family name lost little of its
prestige.
During her years outside Pakistan, Bhutto lived with her three children in
Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004. She
gave frequent interviews, continued to organise the PPP and was a regular
visitor to western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and meeting
government officials. Relations with the press were carefully maintained,
with large sums devoted to a major lobbying effort in Washington and the
hire of a top-ranking public relations firm. Journalists who referred to the
outstanding corruption allegations against her would receive polite emails
reminding them that the charges had never been proven and that they were
politically motivated.
The political climate began to change during 2007 as Musharraf made a series
of major political errors, rapidly losing support after clumsy
confrontations with the judiciary. A consummate political operator to the
last, Bhutto saw a chance to make a glorious return to Pakistan and win
power once again. Negotiations with the president and head of the armed
forces lasted through the summer, blessed by Washington and London. A deal
was done that saw Bhutto's members of the national assembly effectively
acquiesce to Musharraf's re-election as president in return for an amnesty
preserving her and much of her entourage from investigation for past
misdeeds. However, her triumphal return was marred by the suicide bombing
that narrowly missed her and killed scores of her supporters in Karachi on
October 18.
Following the attack, Bhutto, who was convinced that a shadowy cabal of
retired army officers and Islamic militant sympathisers was behind the
strike, told close associates that the deal with Musharraf was off. Winning
power at the elections to be held next month was all the more vital.
Campaigning with customary verve and energy, inveighing continually against
the failure to provide her with sufficient security, she started touring the
country two weeks ago. One aim was to reacquaint herself with the people of
Pakistan after her long exile. But her performances, hectoring local workers
not to allow the government to rig the poll, calling for an end to
militancy, and invoking the legacy of her late father, were vintage Bhutto.
Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.
Ms Bhutto - the first woman PM in an Islamic state - was leaving an election
rally in Rawalpindi when a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb.
At least 20 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.
President Pervez Musharraf has urged people to remain calm but angry
protests have gripped some cities, with at least 11 deaths reported.
Security forces have been placed on a state of "red alert" nationwide.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. Analysts
believe Islamist militants to be the most likely group behind it.
Scene of the assassination
Ms Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had served as prime
minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, and had been campaigning ahead of
elections due on 8 January.
Benazir Bhutto's coffin leaves hospital in Rawalpindi
Benazir Bhutto's coffin has now been taken from the hospital
It was the second suicide attack against her in recent months and came amid
a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials.
Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, announced
his Muslim League party would boycott the elections.
He called on President Musharraf to resign, saying free and fair elections
were not possible under his rule.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session and later said
it "unanimously condemned" the assassination.
Scene of grief
Ms Bhutto's coffin was removed from hospital in Rawalpindi and has now
arrived by plane in Sukkur in Sindh province for burial in her home town,
Larkana.
Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, has arrived in Pakistan from Dubai to escort
the coffin to its final resting-place.
The attack occurred close to an entrance gate of the city park where Ms
Bhutto had been speaking.
Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest
before the gunman blew himself up.
She died at 1816 (1316 GMT), said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who
was at hospital.
Some supporters at the hospital wept while others broke into anger, throwing
stones at cars and breaking windows.
Protests erupted in other cities as news of the assassination spread, with
reports of 11 deaths in the PPP's heartland province of Sindh, including
four in provincial capital, Karachi.
More than 100 cars were burned in Karachi, while cars and a train were
reportedly set on fire in Hyderabad.
In other violence:
# Police in Peshawar, in the north-west, used batons and tear gas to break
up a rally by protesters chanting anti-Musharraf slogans
# One man was killed in a "shoot-out" between police and protesters in Tando
Allahyar, the mayor said
# Unrest was also reported in Quetta, Multan and Shikarpur
'Security lapse'
Mr Musharraf has announced three days of national mourning. All schools,
colleges, universities, banks and government offices will remain closed.
Burning vehicles in Hyderabad
Protesters set vehicles on fire in the streets of Hyderabad
Mr Sharif said there had been a "serious lapse in security" by the
government.
Earlier on Thursday, at least four people were killed ahead of an election
rally Mr Sharif had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi.
Ms Bhutto's death has plunged the PPP into confusion and raises questions
about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's Barbara
Plett in Islamabad says.
The killing was condemned by India, the US, the UK and others.
US President George W Bush telephoned Mr Musharraf for what the White House
would only describe as a "brief" conversation on the situation.
Her return was the result of a power-sharing agreement with President
Musharraf
He had granted an amnesty that covered the court cases she was facing.
But relations with Mr Musharraf soon broke down.
On the day of her arrival, she had led a motor cavalcade through the city of
Karachi.
It was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead.
Rawalpindi, the nerve centre of Pakistan's military, is seen as one of the
country's most secure cities.
Many analysts say attacks like those on Thursday show the creeping "Talebanisation"
of Pakistan.
Radical Muslims calling for Islamic law, and fiercely opposed to the US,
have become increasingly active in Pakistani politics in recent years,
analysts say.
Benazir Killed-Reaction from People around the World
Aqueel, uae
I remember my freshman year of college when Prime Minister Bhutto came and spoke at my university. She spoke with such passion and dedication to her country. It was a honor to hear her speak. She will be missed. Democracy has lost a great fighter and leader.
Dana, Seattle, WA
Her death must be justified and not swept under the rug; this is the only way anyone with as much passion and courage to work towards peace and democracy in Palestine is going to rise up and be her successor, if a successor is not found all her work will be in vain.
Natasha Whiffin, Vancouver, Canada
No body can afford to betray his/her own people. Benazir Bhotto betrayed and turned against her own people fo the Western and her own interest but as it is today, the west may only sympathise but never saved her.
We should all remember that she was accused of assasinating her own brother when she was in power and to date she never accounted nor prosecuted anybody for the assasination.
Today is her turn of events and anybody who allign with the West to betray his/her own suffer the same faith
REX ANDY
Ultimately, she has found an eternal resolution of the father's
complex that had come to dominate her mind following his
tragic end.
George M. Kelcey, Bratislava
I am shoked by hearing that Bhutto has gone forever,and it must be said that her killers are evil pro-Taliban.
Unfortunately, this killing shows that we will never be able to achieve democracy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, because it is impossible to change the minds of those close minded fanatics,who are in support of Talibans.
I will miss her very much
Ajmal, London
