I was shocked to read shrieking headlines in an English newspaper: 131 banks, 900 vehicles torched in Sindh. According to Sindh government, 40 killed in province since BB's assassination; rioters set on fire 78 train bogies, 18 railway stations.
This was not all. More than 100 criminals had escaped when rioters broke open jails. All this, and much more, was caused in Sindh province and also in other parts of the country after the tragic demise of PPP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a suicide bomb attack in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi as the country had plunged into deep mourning and angry protestors went on rampage, arson and loot.
Who is to be blamed for huge losses caused to the public and private properties in the name of mourning of tragic death of a great national leader of international stature.
This was certainly no proper way of mourning the demise of the Daughter of the East. Those who indulged in mob rioting here and there, in fact, did no service to PPP, paid no tributes to the departed leader and caused huge losses.
That needs a lot of time to be repaired. Such mob rioting was just not comprehensible. A great leader had expired in a tragic manner. Everyone was saddened and mourning her tragic demise. Even, President Pervez Musharraf had not wasted a moment and announced three days national mourning after describing Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto a leader of great eminence and her killing a national tragedy.
With due deference to PPP leaders, supporters and workers as well as others who went into mourning on hearing the tragic news, the mob rioters were those who not only exploited a grave situation but also incited others to join in their nefarious game.
Such elements in all fairness should and must be condemned by all without any discrimination. This was, more unfortunately, a crude attempt to exploit the situation and fan provincialism.
My regrets as well as tributes to Asif Ali Zardari who while mourning for his wife advised the party leaders, workers and supporters to be calm, patient and not to raise slogans against Pakistan and any other province in particular as everyone was in deep mourning for the departed PPP Chairperson.