Benazir Bhutto is dead

In all of my conversations with my Pakistani friends, never did I hear, Benazir Bhutto's name in the context of leadership. And not without reason. The debates always centered around the melodrama created around her Prime Ministership(she was the first head of state of a Muslim country) or corruption or the many scandals that surrounded her. But most didn't know that she was forced into politics. That might explain why she occupied an emotional leader versus an incapable head of state status persona in the minds of Pakistanis. She was basically none. And though she might have been enticed into coming to Pakistan by a deal that dismissed her corruption charges, she was well aware that she was gambling with her life.
Any which ways, she will be given a martyr status by the world and media at large and most Pakistanis might just accept that she had come to bring sanity to Pakistani politics.
What remains to be seen is whether, Pakistani politics will bring out a new leader..will Musharraf succeed in controlling whatever little is left of his dictatorship?..will the world take a stance?will her children enter politics? ..and the consequences of that.

The Indian positioning: We should be wary of politically unstable neighbours.

An Article I have been searching for...

I remember reading this article way back in my 11th standard and loving it instantly.Though its high on mush value, its a beautiful piece. Unfortunately the author is not known.

A soul mate is the missing half of my soul.
A reflection of my dreams.
Someone who believes in the real me, believes in every atom I am made of.
Who loves me for what I am and not for what the world perceives me to be.
Someone who looks beyond the little flaws and weaknesses to see the intensity.
Who looks beyond the body to see the spirit within.
A person who embodies the metaphor of one soul and one heart being the
connecting bridge between two bodies and two minds.
A soul mate fills in the emptiness when I feel lonely even when in the
midst of a hundred people.
A soul mate is the destiny I fall toward all along, gently, slowly,
like brilliant fall leaves dancing to the ground.
The angel who brings out the music and ignores the dischords.
Who understands unspoken words and unshed tears.
Who listens to not only my words but also my silences.
Who recognizes my right to personal evolution and choices at my own pace.
Who causes every emotion to be so greatly magnified that life almost
turns into a dream and I find myself floating in azure skies.
A lifetime of bliss, but hey, with a few fights thrown in….(who said
soul mates don't fight?)

Does this enunciate a whimsical, starry-eyed fairy tale? Even so,
keep the faith and believe in the magic!

London

A mental trip to Harrods...killer Manolo Blahniks...croissants at the roadside cafe..quirky bookshop with a blue-eyed granny and wistful smells..irrational shopping for cousin's wedding.....so much to fit in two days