Rashid Jamal
Senior journalists Hamid Mir, Javed Chaudhry, Majahad Barelvi, Rauf Klasser and other writers have expressed their views on former ambassador Wajid Shamsul Hassan’s book ‘Bhutto Family in My Memories’. The first edition of the book sold out in a month. Of course, there is something in the book that people want to read. As the compiler of the book, I also wanted to write about the background of the book.
My first meeting with Wajid Shamsul Hassan was in 1993 when Benazir Bhutto became the Prime Minister. A few weeks later, Wajid Sahib said that the Prime Minister had appointed him as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Wajid Bhai will go to London. During this time, whenever I visited London, High Commissioner Wajid Bhai used to give us a warm and loving evening.
When PPP’s own president Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari dismissed Benazir’s government on November 5, 1996, Benazir Bhutto’s confidant Wajid Shamsul Hassan (the High Commissioner), was arrested on the orders of the President.
And they were pressured to testify against Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto. When he was released several months later, he returned to London, but due to the pain and suffering of incarceration, he was afflicted with various diseases. Therefore, due to health illness he was spending most of his time at home.
I remember doing a long interview on April 4, 2015 at Wajid Bhai house and at the same time we told him that I want to write down your memoirs. Followed my London trips, I used to record conversations in two or three cassettes. This process continued for three or four years. Wajid Bhai used to send us whatever he wrote. Thus. I had accumulated so much material that it could be turned into a book. But due to Wajid Bhai’s decreasing health, the work of the book almost stopped. A few months ago, Wajid Bhai, after looking at the draft, gave permission to publish the book. The book sold out within a month of its launch. After all, what is it about this book that makes people buy books? This will be mentioned in the column as well as some other things which may not be included in the book but will be published in detail in the next edition.
Wajid said that when Bibi’s will came to light, doubts and suspicions were also raised about it. ” I will recognize. She once told me, “Wajid bhai, I want to write something and leave.” I was never sure that such a tragedy would happen to Bibi. However, Benazir Bhutto was convinced that something was going to happen to her and it happened.
Wajid writes that ‘The martyrdom of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a great tragedy of Pakistan. Asif Ali Zardari is a man of strong nerves and a brave man. After that kept the PPP united. He controlled the situation with great wisdom and prudence. He consoled millions of emotional and scattered workers.
In response to the question why Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto did not carry out nuclear blast in both her terms? Wajid said that Benazir Bhutto had a keen eye on world politics. It was his vision that we have tested the atomic bomb many times and made sure that our experiment was successful. Now all that was needed was to expose the atomic bomb. Benazir Bhutto did not detonate a nuclear bomb in her time because the whole world would follow Pakistan. Otherwise, Benazir could have detonated a nuclear device during her tenure, but she did not “If we blow up first, the United States, Israel and India will stand against us all over the world,” she said. Too many sanctions will be imposed on us.
Regarding the betrayal and benevolence of former President Sardar Farooq Leghari’s party, Benazir Bhutto said, “I think he was an old intelligence man. He must have been planted in the party.” One of the procedures of the agencies is that they do not take immediate action from their servant, they keep raising him so that his importance keeps increasing. Then there comes a time when they need you. They say to you, “Look, we have raised you for so long.” Now is the time for your sacrifice. Now you work for us. This is what happened to Farooq Leghari. It was used to overthrow our government.”
Farooq Leghari made small allegations against Wajid bhai and arrested him at the hands of FIA. He was kept in safe houses and jail. Despite all the methods of mental and physical violence, Farooq Leghari and later Saif-ur-Rehman Wajid failed to break his loyalty. Wajid did not let his relationship of trust, confidence and trust with Benazir Bhutto break. Until her last days, Benazir Bhutto trusted Wajid bhai very much. She had told the US State Department and the British Foreign Office that whenever she had to contact me, she would only talk to Wajid Sahib. Wajid Bhai’s relationship with Benazir Bhutto can be gauged from the fact that Benazir Bhutto, despite her busy schedule, called Wajid Sahib on December 25, two days before her martyrdom. Find out and keep talking for a long time. Even then, Wajid bhai asked her why she was risking her life. Come back to London and run an election campaign here.
Wajid also said that Sardar Ata ullah Mengal and Mahmood Khan Achakzai came to meet Mohtarma in London. He asked Benazir Bhutto to announce that after coming into government we would give full autonomy to the provinces. We will support you in Baluchistan and NWFP. Benazir Bhutto said, “I am ready to give autonomy to the provinces but the autonomy you want is not possible. Once we come to power, we will work with all parties to resolve the issue of provincial autonomy. Sardar Ata ullah Mengal and Mahmood Khan Achakzai wanted the 1940 resolution to give autonomy to the provinces as a state policy of Pakistan.
The British and American establishments have been instrumental in changing governments in Pakistan. Wajid Shamshul Hasan writes that there was a time when US and British Foreign Office officials did not even answer our phone and when their policy changed, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and US State Department contacted Benazir Bhutto herself. He also scheduled a meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto in Dubai. Wajid writes that the British Foreign Secretary (Foreign Secretary) Jack Straw said in a meeting with Benazir Bhutto that “we want real democracy in Pakistan. We want elections in Pakistan and all parties are allowed to participate. The situation in Pakistan is such that an accident could happen at any time. Musharraf’s life is in danger. Musharraf has been attacked three times. In the last attack, he barely survived. We want Pervez Musharraf to have an accident before it happens. Let there be fair and impartial elections under the supervision of Musharraf.” From this one incident one can gauge the level at which decisions are taken to restore democracy and change the government in our country.
An important part of the book is the inquiry into the martyrdom and assassination of Benazir Bhutto, about which she writes that the government of Pakistan has announced that Scotland Yard will investigate Benazir Bhutto. The government’s work plan for Scotland Yard did not include an investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. Scotland Yard was asked to find out what weapon led to Benazir Bhutto’s death. When we had a government in Pakistan, there should have been an immediate investigation into her murder. “I think sometimes it happens that you want to do a lot while you are in power but you can’t do it,” he said. Attack again. He had decided that day that he would not leave Bibi alive today.
In his book, he discusses topics such as the NRO, ‘Memogate’ scandal, the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto, relations with the United States, which have not come up before. As a senior journalist, columnist and former High Commissioner, Wajid Shamsul Hassan has unveiled for the first time the hidden pages of Pakistan’s history in his book, The Bhutto Family in My Memories…