Benazir Bhutto was indeed an inimical politician who left an indelible impact on the political landscape of Pakistan. The leadership void that she left in her party and the countrys politics is still painfully apparent. But instead of carrying on her legacy, the PPP government has found new and inventive ways to honour the late Mohtarma.
After the much ill-advised monument (which was thankfully shelved), there is now the Benazir day public holiday. We live in an economy that is lethargic thanks to a full-swing global recession. We do not need to further slow down the economy by interrupting work weeks with too many public holidays.
I think the leader herself appreciated the values of good governance and the best way to honour her is to promote those values in a sate afflicted with an ever-deepening crisis of governance. Rendering her name to programmes that do not provide relief, avenues that break down and days when people do not work is no way to honour her. I hope the PPP government will take the right decision rather than appealing to the lowest common denominator by such eye-wash measures as declaring her death anniversary a holiday.
ASGHAR ALI
Lahore
