News
Monday, July 05, 2010
American lawmakers pay glowing tributes to Benazir
* US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Bhutto was an ‘unassuming’ human being
WASHINGTON: US lawmakers and political experts on Sunday paid glowing tributes to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for her courageous struggle for democracy and the achievements she made in her political life.
“Benazir Bhutto gave the people a hope for the future of their country,” US House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a gathering to launch a documentary on the life of the slain former minister, which was attended by former and serving American lawmakers, intellectuals, Pakistani Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani and Benazir’s sister Sanam Bhutto. The Democratic leader spoke at the National Geographic Society headquarters - where ‘Bhutto,’ a riveting documentary on life and works of the Pakistani icon of democracy - was screened by the Independent Television Service. Speaker Pelosi recounted her meeting with the Muslim world’s first and youngest woman prime minister in 1989, when Benazir visited Washington and met members of the US Congress. Pelosi described the meeting with the charismatic leader as a “thrill of the lifetime.” Pelosi told the audience she found Benazir an “unassuming” human being, although she was an immensely popular and fascinating politician. “She was a great leader in the world,” Pelosi said of Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, 2007, months after her return to Pakistan.
Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, paying moving tributes to the two-time popularly elected prime minister, said Benazir represented aspirations of the Pakistanis for modern democracy, empowerment of the poor and an inspiration for the educated class. “She was a tolerant leader and had full faith in democracy, an inspiring figure for the people desiring a change in their lives,” Haqqani said. The ambassador informed the audience how the former prime minister motivated people to stand up against terrorism and said she was the first politician who “fearlessly” spoke against parochialism. Highlighting her ideas for democratic advancement, Ambassador Haqqani expressed the hope that Pakistan would become a modern democracy as envisioned by Benazir.
Separately, a commentator on Politics Daily website, recalling achievements of Benazir in the face of many struggles and odds, wrote in the online publication that “Bhutto did many good things in her two tours as prime minister, freeing political prisoners, building schools and eradicating polio”.
The 150-minute documentary captures the epic tale of the life, career and assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who broke the glass ceiling as the first elected woman leader of Muslim world. A post-screening discussion hosted by PBS News Hour’s Judy Woodruff provided additional perspective on the film and Benazir Bhutto’s life and work. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk