Wajid Shamsul Hasan was a journalist, diplomat, and close friend of the Bhutto family. He had a close relationship with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto. . He wrote a memorable book in Urdu “Bhutto Family Meri Yado Mein” shortly before his death on these fifty years of relationship. The book consists of 27 chapters. Today we will talk about the contacts between Benazir Bhutto and Musharraf and a secret meeting that has come to light for the first time.
When Pervez Musharraf seized power in 1999, Benazir Bhutto issued a statement that this is the darkest day in our political history. Nawaz Sharif created such situations that people are considering this process as better. Musharraf announced that elections would be held in three months, but continued to expand his power with his seven-point agenda. As his tenure extended, Benazir continued to pressurize him to hold elections and hand over power to the elected party.
He asked Wajid Shamsul Hasan to be in touch with the Foreign Office, Commonwealth Secretary in the United Kingdom to prepare the environment for the restoration of democracy and elections in Pakistan.
It should be remembered that Wajid Shamsul Hasan was Pakistan’s ambassador to Britain during the government of the People’s Party. Wajid writes that senior member of Pakistan People’s Party and London County Councilor Rehman Chishti, who was very important and accessible in the British government, also joined me in this campaign.
Meanwhile, Rehman Chishti came to Pakistan, met the British High Commissioner and urged him to pressurize Pervez Musharraf and the British government about the undemocratic conditions in Pakistan to hold elections in Pakistan. On which the High Commissioner told him that he can try but he does not know what Benazir Bhutto wants. He told them that Benazir Bhutto wants to establish an impartial Election Commission, fair elections and transfer power to the people’s representatives.
As a result of this meeting, Benazir Bhutto along with Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Rehman Chishti had a fruitful meeting with British Foreign Secretary Mr. Jack Straw at his London office. In which he told Benazir that General Pervez Musharraf did not want her to return to Pakistan. On which Benazir Bhutto told him that I am the popular leader of Pakistan. You were not ready to join hands with Pervez Musharraf before September 11, now you have started supporting him. Jack Straw asked Benazir Bhutto how are your relations with America?
Benazir told them that the Americans do the same as you did not response.
After that, Jack Straw called Wajid Shamsul Hasan one day and told him that an important person from America was coming to London, she would like to meet Benazir Bhutto, this person was Miss Konda Lisa Rice, Secretary of State of the American State Department, who Met Benazir Bhutto for three hours in the Deputy High Commissioner’s office. She explained to him that she would go to Pakistan anyway, her party would participate in the election, even after that Benazir met with Condoleezza Rice in America, who was also a senior party leader. The news of this meeting was leaked.
The fallout from this news was that Konda Lisa Rice had to resign from her post, while other reasons for her resignation included the failure of the United States to protect the life of Benazir Bhutto. After this news appeared in the media, Benazir Bhutto clearly instructed the US State Department and the British Foreign Office not to contact anyone except Wajid Shamsul Hasan.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan writes that one day he received an email message from US Secretary of State Richard Boucher that he wanted to meet Benazir Bhutto in Dubai. For this meeting, I came with Benazir Bhutto to a shopping mall from where we reached Richard Boucher’s residence in his car. Richard Boucher asked Benazir to name the team that would speak to Pervez Musharraf on her behalf. On this I advised Benazir Bhutto to meet General Musharraf one to one. Only you can guess what his mind set is, what he wants. She agreed with me which was a bold move on her part.
Richard Boucher met Pervez Musharraf after this meeting after which he informed through email that Pervez Musharraf was ready for a one-on-one meeting with Benazir.
General Pervez Musharraf wanted to hold this meeting at the residence of a businessman friend of his, but Benazir refused to do so. Finally, the meeting was held at the Royal Palace in Abu Dhabi at the request of Benazir Bhutto. Rehman Malik was with Benazir. But he was sitting outside with General Pervez Kayani. The meeting lasted for four hours. Benazir Bhutto told Wajid Shamsul Hasan the details of the meeting.
As the meeting began, General Musharraf said something that made me angry, which made my heart tell me to get up and leave, but Richard Boucher and other friends urged me to continue.
General Musharraf told her, Madam, hear one thing clearly, I will not let you come to Pakistan, it is for your own good and well-being, you are unpopular in Pakistan, especially in Punjab. Punjab leadership has betrayed you. They say you are popular there. Your party is now over. Nothing will be achieved by contesting elections. It is better that you accept my conditions and become the B team of Muslim League Q.
To which Benazir replied to him and said that you should take off your uniform and enter politics, then whoever wins will do politics. After much discussion, he said that I will allow your party to participate in the election, but not you. No one can you become Prime Minister for the third time. Yes, I will close your case. On which Benazir told him that I never asked you to finish the cases. I will face all the false cases that have been filed for the last ten years. Don’t make my cases a joke. On which Pervez Musharraf said that I will think about you three years after the election, we will bring you to the Senate but will never let you become the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Musharraf told Benazir that she wanted Aitzaz Ahsan to separate from the lawyers’ movement, which is trying to reinstate Chief Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar. On which Benazir told him that she is not participating as a party leader but as a lawyer, how can I refuse. He asked Benazir to support a bill in Parliament to reduce the age of judges from five to three years. From which Iftikhar Chaudhry will retire himself. On which Benazir told him that you are making fun of me, I will never do this.
benazir Bhutto kept informing Richard Boucher and the Americans about the conversation with Musharraf, upon which the United States and Britain advised her not to go to Pakistan under such circumstances and not to participate in the election. On which she clearly said that if she is not allowed to campaign, her party will not participate in the election. On which she was told that we will talk to Musharraf to allow him to participate in the election, but she should not talk about Nawaz Sharif participating in the election, but she explained to him that everyone including Nawaz Sharif should participate in the election. Allowed to take.
she stated that she will go to Pakistan in any case, no matter what happens, why should the world turn upside down, I have promised the people of Pakistan, who have been waiting for me for a long time. After a few days, General Pervez Musharraf sent a message that we are closing your cases, Benazir replied that she is not interested in closing cases.
Meanwhile, the party’s Central Executive Committee decided that Benazir Bhutto would hold a press conference in London and make two important announcements, including the date of her return to Pakistan and the resignation of all party MPs. General Pervez Musharraf was very worried about such a decision. Thus, Benazir Bhutto went to Pakistan according to her promise to the people, she was attacked by suicide in Karachi. Late at night, Wajid Shamsul Hasan spoke to her on the phone from London, on which she told that the attack on me is a conspiracy of General Musharraf, he cannot scare me by making such explosions.