Dispatch From Karachi

On Oct. 18th, the transportation convoy of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was attacked by two suicide bombers in Karachi, killing nearly 140 people and marking the assault as the bloodiest of its kind in the history of the country. In the aftermath of the bombings, the world's second most populated city (over 12 million and counting) has found itself centered in the global media spotlight due to the return of the popular Bhutto. Ms. Bhutto has returned to Pakistan after years of self-imposed exile due to corruption allegations during two different terms and administrations in the late '80s and early 90s to discuss a possible power-sharing agreement with Pakistan's current leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Rant/Rave interviewed Diwal Sachanand, a resident of Karachi and an agricultural landlord in the Sindh province, in order to share the perspective of a native Karachiite. Mr. Sachanand is a member of a prominent Hindu family in the area with a history in politics - his late grandfather a member of parliament in pre-partion india who held his seat until his death in office in 1958. Sachanand himself has served as a member of his local tehsil, or city council, and received his MBA in Canada. The following are highlights of our discussion on Benazir Bhutto, Karachi and Pakistani politics.

With the recent threats on Benazir Bhutto's life, is
there a feeling that the Oct. 18th attacks are just
the beginning?

I think the people of Pakistan accept the
attacks as a part of life [here], and therefore
life goes on as usual.

Do you believe that Sindh provincial Governor Ishrat
Ul-Ebad Khan will be able to ensure public safety
during Bhutto's public meetings?

The Sindh government and the MQM (the governor
of Sindh's political party) have no interest in
the PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party, Bhutto's base).

They are only accepting the return of
Ms. Bhutto because they are key allies of the president
and he is ordering them to do so...

What is the general sentiment among Karachiites toward
Ms. Bhutto?

Ms. Bhutto is well loved by the people of Sindh
(including Karachi), especially Sindhis, [and while] the deal
between her and General Musharraf has harmed her
reputation, she is still very popular.

Does the public believe that there is any truth to the
accusations of corruption by Bhutto and her husband,
Asif Ali Zardari?

Of course. But again, the people also think she
is the lesser of the 2 evils, and probably the best
choice amongst the present lot.

Do the people of Pakistan welcome the power-sharing
agreement between Bhutto and Gen. Musharraf as an
opportunity for positive change?

The PPP loyalists want to come back to power - they have
been out since '96 and they feel their
leader has made the best of the circumtances.

The Sindh province comprises about 25% of agricultural
land in a country whose economy runs primarily on
agriculture. With parliamentary campaigns about to
begin, are the political parties in the region
addressing the agricultural concerns of the people?

No Sir, that unfortunately is not there...as
a large agriculturist, I would know...

Karachi is a resilient city that has survived a great
deal of bloodshed over the years. Will Benazir Bhutto
and Gen. Pervez Musharraf be able to bring any sort of
lasting peace to Karachi, or will it be politics as
usual?

Politics as usual.

Is there a strong demand for true democracy in
Pakistan?

The demand is there, but we all accept its not
possible to send the military back to the barracks.
They will remain a part of politics, whether it's
Musharraf or some other army general.

Lastly, what is the most important thing those of us
in the West should know about our ally Pakistan,
Karachi, and the Sindh province?

The most important thing [to understand] is, it's
only a few fanatics and the political wizards who want to
continue with the terrorism, etc - the politicians know
[that] in this uncertain enviroment no one will talk of the
real things like education, health care, etc. For example -
since 2002, no opposition or government politician has
made any kind of concrete move towards the basic
problems of Pakistan. They either talk of deals or the
War on Terror - that way, they are not held
accountable. Even Ms. Bhutto in her two terms as
Prime Minister never did anything concrete, except
perhaps making a great deal of money

Upon completion of the agreement with Gen. Musharraf, Bhutto and her husband will be allowed access to a bank account, frozen during their second corruption scandal with a current balance estimated at $1.5 billion (US)

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