By Manish Chand, IANS
New Delhi : Benazir Bhutto’s brutal assassination has left a “big void” in public life in Pakistan which will be hard to fill, says former prime minister I.K. Gujral who met the Pakistani leader last over a cup of tea in his house here a few months ago.
“It causes a bigger void in Pakistan’s public life. After her father’s death by hanging in 1979, she was filling that gap. And now she is gone,” Gujral told IANS an hour after the news of Bhutto’s assassination came in.
“She was a big stabilising factor in Pakistan. She survived one attempt on her life over two months ago. This was the second attempt on her life,” Gujral said, recalling the Pakistani leader whom she had known personally over a long period of time.
“I visited her in Dubai nearly a year ago. A few months ago when she came to Delhi, she came to my house for tea. She was full of ideas for Pakistan and India-Pakistan relations,” he said.
An emotional Gujral said he would not like to say anything more about his last meeting with Bhutto at this stage.
“We had known each other for a long time. I was very sad to hear about her death,” said Gujral, whose tenure as prime minister in 1997-98 saw a perceptible improvement in India-Pakistan relations.
“This is a strange reprehensible act. I condemn it. I send my condolences to Asif Sahib (Asif Zardari, her husband),” he said.