The New Nation - Internet Edition

Benazir Bhutto's death was a tragedy in Pakistan's history. Her death affected all Pakistan's politics. It was a sad and black day in Pakistan's history.

The question of inheritance to Banazir died before it appear. The credit goes to Asif Zardari. He didn't leave the party leadership to think about the leadership. He came out with claim that he has Benazir's Will and later announced that Benazir pleaded her party leaders to accept Zardari as the chairman of PPP. Later Zardari announced that he wished their son Bilawal Zardari to be appointed as party chairman. A school boy of 19 years was appointed as chairman of the biggest political party of Pakistan.

There were many faces in PPP who could lead the party. Amin Mukhdom Fahim was running PPP for almost eight years when Benazir was in exile and he could lead the party in future. There was another name Barrister Aitzaz Hassan, who got international fame after following chief justice case. He was the person, who was always giving his support and professional advices to PPP. But Zardari suddenly called party meeting and asked party leaders to authorise his wish for Bilawal Zardari as a party chairman.

Later Bilawal Zardari's name was changed to Bilawal Bhutto. The party leadership has accepted it becuase it was very hard time for them as well as for Zardari after the tragic death of Benazir. But the question is whether the party workers will accept him as chairman or not. The party workers will realise with the time that the decison was wrong in every sense. If the leadership was supposed to go to Bhutto's family, then why doesn't PPP accept Fatima Bhutto as their chairperson, who doesn't need to change her surname.

Fatima Bhutto is the real successor of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She is the right person in every sense to lead the party. She is a well known name in the country. She has proved to the people of Pakistan that she has got every skill to lead the party and to lead the country. She is a mature person, not like 19 year old Bilawal.

She is loved by every one in Larkana. She is known to Larkana while Bilawal and Asif Zardari are strangers in Larkana. They are not welcome in Larkana.

In fact, Zardari has already done great damages to PPP. Every single person knows in the country that Zardari is a corrupt and untrustworthy person. He does not enjoy a good reputation both at home and abroad for his alleged corruptions.

Fatima Bhutto can provide unity to the party, as she is the real blood of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while Bilawal is not. She doesn't need to change her surname to inherit. She is a native speaker of the country while Bilawal is not. She has spent her life among the common people of Pakistan while Bilawal was living in luxuries. She understands the suffering of common people of Pakistan while Bilawal doesn't. She knows what people want while Bilawal doesn't have any idea of common people. She has experience of life while Bilawal doesn't have any experience of life. She is an established writer, columnist and political commentator while Bilawal will need to spend years in Oxford to learn what politics is. She is considered to be a true and pure blood of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while Bilawal is a true and pure blood of Hakim Ali Zardari.

Let the emotions subside and the true question of inheritance come out of the heart of PPP workers. They will have to make the decision. This is the time of emotions after the death of Benazir. I have heard many Pakistanis that they will not accept Bilawal, but they will welcome Fatima Bhutto.

Syed Habib Orakzai

London, England

Hearing that the gas supply to the entire southern part of Mega Dhaka would remain suspended for 48 hours from Saturday midnight, shopkeepers indiscriminately raised the price of kerosene and stove to the dismay of the city dwellers of those areas. A resident of South Goran said angrily that he had to pay taka 100 for one liter of kerosene, in place of actual price of taka 40 only while a lady resident of Demra said, she purchased a stove with as much as twice of the original price.

It means that the trading in Bangladesh really does not follow ethics and morality and the traders either at retail or at wholesale levels exploit the helplessness of consumers in order to make quick money. In truth, this is one kind of torture on people.

In simple words, these businessmen do not go by the basic rules of trading, not to say of ethical norms. What they do is totally guided by the greed of making quick money at all changes whenever or in whatever way that comes.

In this connection, the Titas Gas Authority too cannot evade their moral responsibilities. The authority concerned should have informed the consumers at much earlier dates and arranged substitute channels for supplying gas because they cannot hurl four million people in such odds overnights. They should now compensate the consumers of their extra expenditures and must not charge the bills for the month of February 2008.

In fine, we seek personal interference of the Special Assistant Power and Energy to the Chief Advisor.

Abdur Rashid

Sabujbagh, Dhaka