Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Recollections and remembrances

to follow him.The Shaheed called for the release of all political prisoners and for an end to thestate of emergency. Towards this cud, he began a hunger strike. Through out theperiod of hunger strike lasting three or four days he sat out at the porch of Al-Murtaza in full view of the slogan chanting crowds gathered outside.The mounting tide of public pressure compelled Ayub Khan to capitulate to thedemands and the Shaheed was released. A victory march through the streets ofLarkana followed as huge enthusiastic crowds sang and chanted “Jive Bhutto” and“Khati aiyo khair san Ho jamalo”. It was a moment of sheer magic. The apotheosesrendered have been reserved in history only for saints. The Shaheed Would bringhis fists together in simulation of hand cuffed hands of a prisoner and then tearthem away to symbolize the breaking of the chains. The dramatic effect of this actsent the wild sea of humanity into uncontrolled frenzy. I was with my cousinsatop the truck as it made its snail like passage through the narrow and congestedLarkana streets and was completely mesmerized by this giant of a man who sentelectric impulses through every vein, nerve and muscle. Suddenly, a manappeared before our truck, pulled out a revolver and aimed at the Shaheed. Therewas not a sign of panic or fear on the Shaheed’s face. His first instinct was to turntowards us to ensure our safety. In the meantime, quick as lightning, the angrymob had grabbed the would-be assassin and begun to render street justice. TheShaheed intervened and asked Katpar and Hayat Mohanuned Khan Sherpao whowere accompanying us on the truck to save the Juan from the wrath of the mob.Ayub Khan’s last desperate bid to stop the Shaheed in his tracks had failed andnow the end was nigh.The Shaheed decided to return to Karachi by train and I was thrilled that I couldaccompany him together with my cousins. We boarded the Bolan Mail bound forKarachi and were all in the same compartment through one of history’s greatesttrain journeys. In between the stops, the Shaheed kept us riveted with hisanecdotes and his hilarious mimickery of Ayub Khan. All through the night andinto, the next day, the train would screech to a halt at every small, waysidestation and at very stop the scene was much the same. Whether it was Dadu.Sukkur, Kotri or Hyderabad, people turned out in their multitudes to greet theirleader. The Shaheed would emerge from the compartment to mesmerize themwith his theatrical oratory and they would go into wild unrestrained rapture. Itwas a spectacle of messianic incantation that Lenin could not match during hisown historic journey back home following the Russian Revolution. During thecourse of the journey we were joined at various intervals by other PPP leadersamong whom I can recall Mumtaz Bhutto and Hafeez Pirzada.We finally arrived at the Karachi Cantonment station where a human avalanchehad already struck. Old men and young, women and children had gathered inZulfikar Ali Bhutto, Recollections and Remembrances; Copyright © www.bhutto.org 44