Pskistan's Bhutto killed
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Pakistan forces get shoot-on-sight orders in Karachi: officialPosted: 28 December 2007 1646 hrs
KARACHI: Pakistani paramilitary forces in the southern city of Karachi were Friday ordered to shoot rioters on sight to prevent unrest after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a paramilitary officer said.
"Paramilitary Rangers have been given orders to shoot on sight if they see miscreants indulging in anti-state activities, attacking government property or setting on fire private property," Major Athar Ali told reporters.
He said the force had deployed 16,000 troops in southern Sindh province, 10,000 of them in Karachi alone. - AFP/ac
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Pakistan's Turbulent History
1947 Dominion of Pakistan created under Mohammad Ali Jinnah
1956 Nation renamed the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and plunges into civil war
1972 Civillian rule under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
1977 Military coup and leadership under General Zia Ul Haq
1979 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto executed
1988 General Zia killed in a plane crash. Benazir Bhutto elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan
1990 Bhutto government replaced by leadership of Nawaz Sharif
1993 Benazir Bhutto re-elected
1996 Nawaz Sharif replaces Benazir Bhutto who goes into self-imposed exile overseas
1999 Pevez Musharraf takes power from Nawaz Sharif who goes into exile
2001 Pevez Musharraf appoints himself President
2007
Unrest in March after President Musharraf forces resignation of Chief Justice who is reinstated by Supreme Court
Former PM Nawaz Sharif returns from exile in September and is deported hours later
Musharraf wins October Presidential elections boycotted by opposition
Former PM Benazir Bhutto returns from exile in October and survives suicide bomb attack in Karachi
President Musharraf imposes a state of emergency in November, sacks CJ and arrests opposition figures
Former PM Nawaz Sharif returns from exile in November
President Musharraf quits as army chief, is sworn-in as President for a second term
Pakistan gears up for General Elections
Benazir Bhutto killed in December 27 suicide attack -
Benazir Bhutto
1953 - 2007
The Bhutto name has always been closely entwined with the tumultuous history of Pakistan and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto etches the name of the countryÂ’s first female prime minister even more deeply, in its history.
Benazir Bhutto was born to a family of wealthy landowners but it was clear from an early stage of her life that the Havard and Oxford graduate in politics was going to follow in her father's footsteps.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became leader of Pakistan in 1977. But in 1979, he was executed at the Rawalpindi Central Jail after General Zia-ul Haq staged a military coup.
Following in her fatherÂ’s footsteps, Benazir Bhutto proved so charismatic and influential both within Pakistan and outside its borders that she was detained several times during the General's military rule.
She went into exile in England in 1984 and returned two years later, leading mass rallies and calling for the restoration of democracy.
A plane crash in 1988 put an end to General Zia's military rule over Pakistan. Ms Bhutto seized the opportunity and led her party to an election victory, becoming the first woman to lead a modern Muslim nation.
Just 20 months later the Bhutto administration was dismissed on accusations of corruption relating to her husband.
The Bhutto name however still held sway over Pakistanis who elected her to power again in 1993.
Ms Bhutto was out of office within three years and was later convicted of corruption by a local court while she was out of the country.
Same as Thaksin when he was ousted by coup de tat while he was overseas in seminar, is Thaksin worse than the Thai military? Is there any economic progress with Thai military? Are the rest of the Thai opposition any better? The opposition, though charismatic to some, are just people with their agendas. 
She remained in exile for eight years, living with her three children in Dubai. Although out of politics, she was not out the public eye, visiting Western capitals often to deliver lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.
It was on 18th October 2007 that she finally made a highly-charged return to Pakistan.
"I feel very, very emotional coming back to my country. I dreamt of this day for so many months and years. I counted the hours, I counted the minutes and the seconds," Bhutto said on her arrival.
Her high profile which drew massive crowds wherever she went made her target for death, with the first hint delivered at her homecoming parade in Karachi. A suicide bomber killed more then 140 people died in the attack.
Shaken but unscathed, Ms Bhutto was not surprised at the attack as she had been warned that she was on the hit list of several suicide squads. But she persisted in her drive to get Pakistan back on the road to democracy insisting,"Democracy is about going to the public."
Ms Bhutto who had her sights set on becoming Pakistan's prime minister for the third time, vowed to continue with her rallies, even at the risk of losing her life. "To save Pakistan, and to save democracy, because we believe democracy alone can save Pakistan from disintegration and a militant take-over, then we are prepared to risk our lives and we are prepared to risk our liberty” said Ms Bhutto recently.
Speaking in Rawalpindi just hours before being assassinated, Benazir Bhutto said, “I put my life in danger and came here because I feel this country is in danger. People are worried. We will bring the country out of this crisis.”
The name "Benazir" means unique and without comparison.
That's how her supporters and the world will remember Benazir Bhutto. -
thing i don't get is that after she's assassinated, her supporter go on a maniac rampage and so far close to 40 people have been killed in the rioting...
wtf??? -
also, another thing...
the autopsy says she had a fractured skull from hitting her head.. as opposed to gunshot or shrapnel wounds..
i'd take that as true because there is no political or any other mileage for this..
yet it is not believed.. and the supporters and whatever are going berserk saying it's a pack of lies...
i guess rational thought has died along with Bhutto... -
When you've got a name like that, I guess it's tough............
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Mrs Bhutto was wearing body armour /bullet proof vest under her winter cloak. So her head was the only vulnerable part. She died because of head wound (big force by a blunt object). Those inside the bullet proof SUV were Ok. Although the SUV was sent air born during the blast, it managed to survive and drove off away from the blast site under it own power.
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Contacted my friend in Karachi by phone and was told that the City is quiet. All shops are closed for business. Streets are deserted. Police are manning road blocks. All domestic flights cancelled. He believes that the international flights are still operating.
Telephone call to Gwadar in Pakistan not able to connect.
Hope that the internal flights will start soon. -
It is very likely that the election scheduled on 8 Jan 08 will be postponed to Mar / Apr 08.
This will allow for the situation in Pakistan to cool down. -
I concur with you and wish Mr Musharraf success in bringing peace and stability to the country.Originally posted by googoomuck:Musharraf has a face that when I look at it, I feel that this man is not corrupted.
I hope I'm right.
Pakistan is so chaotic that it's hard to govern. If he can stabilize Pakistan, he's also the better choice to lead the country slowly towards democracy.
I do not wish to see him get assassinated. I wish him success. -
Well, she was supposed to have been shot in the chest and neck. The vest would not have prevented the neck would.Originally posted by pisces8:Mrs Bhutto was wearing body armour /bullet proof vest under her winter cloak. So her head was the only vulnerable part. She died because of head wound (big force by a blunt object). Those inside the bullet proof SUV were Ok. Although the SUV was sent air born during the blast, it managed to survive and drove off away from the blast site under it own power. -
Mrs Bhutto did not die of gunshot wound to the neck or head.Originally posted by Gedanken:Well, she was supposed to have been shot in the chest and neck. The vest would not have prevented the neck would.
She died because of head wound (big force by a blunt object).
This could be consistent with the explanation given by the Government that when she ducked (during the shooting) followed by the bomb blast, the force of which throw her head against the sun roof lever which caused her skull to crack.
What ever the way it happened, she was assasinated.
Now the whole country is sufferring. All shops are closed including petrol stations. Cannot buy petrol means no car on road. Shops closed means cannot buy food. People will go hungry if this situation persists. 100 over banks had been ransacked / set on fire / destroyed. This is a crazy world. -
I'm trying to figure out why is it everytime such things occur, ppl would do into rampage and destroy properties?
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its "chen huo da jie" loh...every smart aleck will do that....Originally posted by sbst275:I'm trying to figure out why is it everytime such things occur, ppl would do into rampage and destroy properties? -
The fact is that there were gunshot wounds to her head and neck. Do not get carried away by one Interior Ministry explanation, because the track record of the adminstration so far, has been nothing but a ride of stuffing-ups.Originally posted by pisces8:Mrs Bhutto did not die of gunshot wound to the neck or head.
She died because of head wound (big force by a blunt object).
This could be consistent with the explanation given by the Government that when she ducked (during the shooting) followed by the bomb blast, the force of which throw her head against the sun roof lever which caused her skull to crack.
What ever the way it happened, she was assasinated.
Now the whole country is sufferring. All shops are closed including petrol stations. Cannot buy petrol means no car on road. Shops closed means cannot buy food. People will go hungry if this situation persists. 100 over banks had been ransacked / set on fire / destroyed. This is a crazy world.
However, let's see who has the most to gain from her death. It definitely isn't Musharraf. But his government is admittedly a bungled one, and it has shown time and time again. -
The armoured SUV was meant to protect her but she exposed her upper torso through the sunroof. After the explosion, the other occupants inside the car were unscathed.Originally posted by pisces8:Mrs Bhutto was wearing body armour /bullet proof vest under her winter cloak. So her head was the only vulnerable part. She died because of head wound (big force by a blunt object). Those inside the bullet proof SUV were Ok. Although the SUV was sent air born during the blast, it managed to survive and drove off away from the blast site under it own power.
Was she over confident that no assassin would kill a woman? It's immaterial how she died. It was her fatal mistake to expose herself.
Musharraf should be cleared of blame. -
What is wrong in believing the Interior Ministry explanation! Why do you chose to believe otherwise!Originally posted by LazerLordz:The fact is that there were gunshot wounds to her head and neck. Do not get carried away by one Interior Ministry explanation, because the track record of the adminstration so far, has been nothing but a ride of stuffing-ups.
However, let's see who has the most to gain from her death. It definitely isn't Musharraf. But his government is admittedly a bungled one, and it has shown time and time again.
Which administration track record you are referring to that are noting but a ride of stuffing-ups! Not just the one under Mr Musharraf I hope. Mrs Bhutto had ruled Pakistan for two terms also.
It is interesting to try and see who has the most to gain from the death of Mrs Bhutto. I will include India in the list.
It is not easy for Mr Musharraf to govern Pakistan with the very rich and colorful past history and how the country came about in the first place. -
Fresh out of CNN,here's the medical report of Bhutto.
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/12/31/bhutto.report.pdf -
First of all thank you for helping to post the link to the medical report.Originally posted by ceecookie:Fresh out of CNN,here's the medical report of Bhutto.
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/12/31/bhutto.report.pdf
The report show how the top medical profession of a country write their report in precise and good English. -
I extract the following from the medical report:
Details of the wound and surrounding
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X-ray of the skull AP and Lateral views were done after she had been declared death. Findings are as below:
Comminuted depressed skull fracture involving right temporoparietal bone is observed with inward depressed fracture fragment measuring approx. 35 mm (on X-ray measurement).
Depressed fracture fragment distant from intact bony skull measures 12 mm from outer to outer skull table & 12 mm from inner to inner skull table. Two to three tiny radio-densities underneath fracture segment are observed from both projections. Associated scalp soft tissue swelling & moderate degree of pneumocephalus is observed. Rest of the bony skull in intact. Radio-opaque dental fillings are evidence.
Cause of death
Open head injuries with depressed skull fracture, leading to Cardiopulmonary arrest. -
Now we need a medical doctor to explain what is the report trying to say – gun shot wound or otherwise.
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The Straits Times – 7 Jan 08
Bhutto may have been shot, Musharraf admits
PakistanÂ’s President Pervez Musharraf has admitted for the first time that opposition leader Benazir Bhutto may have bee shoot by a gunman.
But Mr Musharraf told US televisions network CBS that she bore responsibility over her death for standing up in her car at she left a rally.
Ms Bhutto was murdered as she left a campaign rally on 27 Dec 07.
The government has said she died after smashing her head on the lever of the car sunroof when as suicide bomber blew himself up nearby – and explanation that has been widely ridiculed.
Asked on CBS’ programme 60 Minutes if she might have been shot, Mr Musharraf said: “Yes, absolutely, yes. Possibility.” -
The Straits Times – 31 Dec 07
Ms Bhutto sent an e-mail to Mr Miliband (British Foreign Secretary) in Sep 07, shortly after she met him to discuss her return to Pakistan.
She named the same three individuals in a letter to Mr Musharraf in Oct 07.
One is a senior intelligence officer and retired army officer who worked for PakistanÂ’s Inter Services Intelligence spy agency, which had close links to the Taleban and has been involved in drug smuggling and political assassinations.
The second individual named by Ms Bhutto is well known in Pakistani political circles and has been involved in a vicious family feud with her for decades.
One of his relatives was said to have been murdered by the militant Al Zulfiqar group run by Ms BhuttoÂ’s brother Murtaza.
The third individual is a chief minister who has repeatedly denounced Ms Bhutto – and faced political annihilation if she won the elections scheduled for next week.
He made an outspoken attack on her only hours before her death.
She told Mr Miliband she was convinced that the three were determined to assassinate her on her return to the country and pleaded with him to put pressure on the Pakistan government to stop them.