Standing By Her Man

In what's clearly a case of late realisation, Benazir Bhutto deems it prudent that her husband, Senator Asif Zardari, spend some time out of politics. For a man who's single-handedly destroyed one of the largest political parties in Pakistan (a feat even a martial law dictator couldn't perform), even the criticism that her spouse has been a political liability for her is something of a joke for ppp workers. Even sending him to another planet wouldn't be far enough as far as we are concerned. Benazir has a habit of saying one thing here, and abroad where the media cannot be shut up as easily, she's compelled to say something else. In Pakistan, she's insisted that Asif was above corruption as he had always been a wealthy man. Then she says he is the father of her children and she loves him. Right. But why should the whole party suffer in the bargain? a senior ppp leader told Outlook.

On her part, Benazir tries to portray Zardari as a man more sinned against than sinning, and blames what she calls the opponents of democracy in Pakistan for their attempts to malign her husband. In opposition, the Nawaz regime imprisons him making it difficult for him to defend himself in the public arena. While in the government, most of his time is devoted to party work...he's so preoccupied that people outside the party hardly know him other than through the gossip of opponents, she says. But no one's about to shed tears for a man many in the ppp believe cost them two governments. Says a party member: Though Asif's disqualification is a blessing in disguise, he alone is not to blame for Benazir's fate. What about her cronies who had it really good when she was premier?

Ask Benazir and she declares her pride in the work Zardari's done for the party and refers to his contribution in the successful election of ppp's presidential nominee and the Punjab chief minister nominee in the '93 elections. Says she: He is smart, brave and widely admired by his constituents and the youth. His sacrifices and his smile in the face of unmatched ordeals have endeared him to large sections of our people. About Zardari's exclusion from politics, she attempts to put a gloss on it: I believe Senator Zardari has much to contribute towards the welfare of the people of Pakistan. However, he wishes to first have the time, as and when he's freed, to introduce himself to segments outside our party so that they can discover him for what he really is. So we see this as a temporary reprieve from politics with a view to re-establish his true credentials.

However, ppp spokesman Farhatullah Babar says the matter of Zardari being asked to step aside from politics has never been discussed in the party's central executive committee. People may have talked to her in private but this happens to be a political party and any such decision has to come on the agenda of the committee and hence become formalised. A difficult task considering how once in a meeting with a journalist who spoke against Asif, Benazir reportedly got up, stamped her feet and while gesturing wildly sent her wedding bracelet flying across the room!

While Benazir concedes that senior party colleagues will see Zardari's debarment as an opportunity to have more access to her, she thinks the youth in the ppp will be disappointed. For them he's the man who withstood imprisonment, torture and judicially-manipulated death for the party. To them he's also the man who Nawaz Sharif and the Muslim League are running scared of,they dare not free him for fear that his expertise in alliance politics will undermine their rule, she says.

As to suggestions that she separate from Zardari, she says: I love my husband and am proud of him. There's no question of our separating. It's unfortunate people should think fit to interfere in what's a purely domestic domain between a husband and a wife. As far as politics is concerned, it's the people of his constituency who've to judge whether he's fit to represent them. Loneliness might be another reason why Benazir would want to stay on with Zardari. I don't have a father or any brothers left. My mother's terminally ill and my sister disinterested. Who's left but the father of my children? Then there's the advantage of building an image of a suffering, besieged woman: Tell the Muslim League I can only pity them if their spouses don't support them. I'm an Eastern woman and cannot forsake my husband just because he is behind bars, she said a few years ago when the government criticised her for supporting Zardari.