My sister was 10 when she was picked by her class in school to read a news article out in an Assembly ~ the theme was Current Events, and she was asked to read about the elections in Pakistan in 1988.
She spent ages learning how to pronounce the name Benazir. In her first efforts it came out as 'Ben-a-jeer' but with practice, perseverence and encouragement from Mother she did it. I felt about 10 foot tall when she read out her news item loud, proud and clear.
I had little recollection of the significance of the election itself, I had very little perception of or interest in world-changing events then; what I've learned since has only been recently. The only time that India and Pakistan had been in my thoughts in nearly 20 years had been when both countries had performed nuclear tests in the late nineties, and I had genuinely feared for the world upon hearing the news. I remember coming home depressed and getting drunk that night.
Well she's dead now. Benazir Bhutto, politician, prime minister, mother and tie-er of my 10-year-old sister's tongue back in the day has been assassinated. By a suicide bomber. I know very little about her beyond this little bit of nostalgic whimsey but the news has still pissed me off.
She spent ages learning how to pronounce the name Benazir. In her first efforts it came out as 'Ben-a-jeer' but with practice, perseverence and encouragement from Mother she did it. I felt about 10 foot tall when she read out her news item loud, proud and clear.
I had little recollection of the significance of the election itself, I had very little perception of or interest in world-changing events then; what I've learned since has only been recently. The only time that India and Pakistan had been in my thoughts in nearly 20 years had been when both countries had performed nuclear tests in the late nineties, and I had genuinely feared for the world upon hearing the news. I remember coming home depressed and getting drunk that night.
Well she's dead now. Benazir Bhutto, politician, prime minister, mother and tie-er of my 10-year-old sister's tongue back in the day has been assassinated. By a suicide bomber. I know very little about her beyond this little bit of nostalgic whimsey but the news has still pissed me off.
Here's the links, courtesy of the BBC;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7161590.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2228796.stm
~ Chaszmyr
