A few days before December 27, 2007, my father who had arrived from Hajj in a comatose condition was admitted in the ICU of the Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi.
On the 27th, I had gone to work in the second half just to wrap up a few things and to submit my leave application. While I was waiting for the elevators, my boss came out of it and in a panic stricken voice told me to go back home since there are rumours about Benzair Bhutto's assassination. I was dumb struck and devastated by the news, even though she was not declared dead by then. Oblivious of the forth-coming disturbances in the country, as I drove back to the hospital, I met a massive traffic jam. While I was stuck up in the traffic, in spite of the chaos around, my mind drifted off, not to my ailing father who was on the verge of death, but to the images of Benazir Bhutto, THE Benazir Bhutto and I could not help crying my heart out. I have never been too much into politics nor have I ever voted during elections, but this time around, I was all set to vote for BB, not because I am a devotee of PPP, but because I am of the Daughter of the East, but this news left me distressed. I think she was the only truly literate leader of Pakistan in those days, now there is none. I have always watched her interviews in great awe and have always admired her faith, intelligence and valour. Even now, when I recall that moment when I had gotten the news of her assassination and the way events took place after that and changed the history of Pakistan, tears well up in my eyes. I wish she were still here, with us....May her soul rest in peace.'
-Uzma Chishti
'How can what happened on last Dec 27 be forgotten?
A panic that was spread and a terror that was seen on everyone's face and a shock that the whole nation faced.
In my age, it was the first time I witnessed such a horrible incident. I, along with my mother, was stuck in traffic. As the news of Benazir’s assassination was being spread, the conditions were getting worse. It was dark everywhere and people were trying to rush to their homes as soon as possible. There was no secure place left. At some places people were throwing stones, burning cars, trucks and tires.
We were too afraid of what was going on and did not know how to get home sooner. Every second we were getting phone calls from family members and we were praying to Allah to keep everyone safe. For a while cellular networks too got jammed resulting in creating more fear.
After staying in this hysteria and traffic jam for about two hours, we reached home safely after about three to four hours in the chaos.
There is one question in my mind, still unanswered:
Why do we start demolishing and destroying our own cities and country when it comes with such a situation? Why do people get wild and start riots?
At the end, I must say Benazir was a daring person and for what she did, she has really set an example.'