By IANS
London : Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto says the only way for her embattled country to defeat terrorism is to embrace democracy.
“I did not come this far in life to be intimidated by suicide bombers. There is a battle raging in Pakistan for the hearts and minds of a new generation. It is a battle for the future of Pakistan as a democratic nation,” Bhutto said in a comment published in the Financial Times Monday.
“I returned to Pakistan this week to lead the fight for democracy. With the blood of my supporters on the streets and on our clothes, I reaffirm my commitment to these values,” said Bhutto who flew back home Oct 18 after eight years in self-imposed exile.
A convoy of cars led by her in Karachi was attacked by suicide bombers, killing more than 140 of her supporters, and in her article Bhutto once again appeared to blame supporters of the late dictator Zia-ul-Huq for the attack.
“I know that the militant forces fear me as their enemy. General Zia-ul-Haq, the extremist dictator of Pakistan in the 1980s, once said that the greatest mistake in his life was not killing me when he had the chance,” she said.
“The extremists thrive under dictatorship; they know that moderation and democracy is their undoing. They will stop at nothing to undo both.
“The militants know that democracy can save Pakistan from the politics of extremism preached by warlords. They are trying to take over the state of Pakistan by attacking its political process and challenging its law enforcement,” she added.