'The poor and shirtless of Pak are my strength'

PEOPLE'S PERSON? Bhutto insists she is not under American pressure but pressure from the people of Pakistan.

        

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Karan Thapar: Those are of course noble sentiments and any politician would express them.

Benazir Bhutto: I don’t think all politicians express that.

Karan Thapar: Most of them do.

Benazir Bhutto: I don’t see that. Most of them talk about a power struggle and lifelines to dictators. People don’t really talk about suffering.

Karan Thapar: People say Benazir Bhutto is doing this under American pressure. She is obliged by the George Bush administration to extend a helping hand and therefore she has come under American pressure.

Benazir Bhutto: I am not under American pressure. I am under the pressure of the people of Pakistan who want their social, economic and democratic. Certainly, General Musharraf is a key ally to the US in the war against terrorism. The US has interest in the stability and welfare of Pakistan. But I am a Pakistani leader and I have been lobbying very hard for Washington to review its policies and support the democratic process in Pakistan.

Karan Thapar: You say you are a Pakistani leader and you are. Yet, Richard Boucher was in Islamabad over the weekend, John Negroponte will be there on Wednesday, they are all lobbying for this deal. To Pakistanis, it suddenly looks as if you are an American ally. Aren't you endangering your independence and credibility by this close association and this impression that you are under American pressure?

Benazir Bhutto: I know that some people are trying to create this impression, but it's wrong. The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr John Negroponte and Ambassador Boucher have visited Pakistan many times because Pakistan is a key ally in the war against terror.

Karan Thapar: Now they are lobbying for you?

Benazir Bhutto: That's what you are saying. I haven't heard from them.

Karan Thapar: That's what the papers are saying.

Benazir Bhutto: I think that is wrong. It's a smear campaign that is being carried on by fearful political leaders. I want you to wait till you get the fact which is that Pakistan has a situation the tribal areas. NATO troupes in Afghanistan are being persistently attacked by pro-Taliban forces who run across the border into our area. America has threatened to take uni-lateral action. There are very many issues.

Karan Thapar: So this allegation embarrasses you?

Benazir Bhutto: It does not embarrass me but I think what you are trying to do is to cover up the fact that there is a war going on and you don’t want me to talk about that. Whenever Mr Boucher has been to Pakistan he has met with Maulana Fazul Rahman and leaders of the MMA. They have gone to Washington. Washington is the world’s only superpower. It is giving Pakistan $10 billion in aid and I am not at all embarrassed about the fact that I am a Pakistani leader who can speak up in the US about the need for democracy in my country and I have been doing that. But the reason people speak to me is because I am the majority leader of the people of Pakistan. The poor and shirtless people of Pakistan who many would like to ignore support me and they are my strength.