Shaheed ZulfikarAli Bhutto - The Centurion Leader
Senator Dr Javaid R. Laghari
April 4, 2007


Centurion comes from the Latin word centurio or Greek hekatontarchos. The Centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army who commanded a centuria (century) of professional fighters. He had risen through the ranks over a period of nearly two decades. The position could not be achieved via political intrigue, and had to be earned even at the cost of his own life. The Centurion inspired his men and led by example. He always led his troops from the front. Two main attributes were his hallmark: Valour and Honour. It took a courageous heart, an adventurous spirit, a quick mind and a visionary soul to become a Centurion. To rise to Centurion was considered the highest honour a legionnaire could attain.

The main attributes of a Centurion Leader are Creativity, Unity, Commitment, Pureness of Motive, Persistence, Decisiveness, Boldness, Care for People and Know thy People. There have been many Centurion Leaders in the past who have had one or more of these attributes. They include Alexander, Hannibal, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mao Tse Tung, Napoleon, and Kamal Attaturk among others. But the leader that stands out among all is Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a man of masses who had all the attributes of a Centurion Leader.

Shaheed Bhutto was highly educated and very well read. He was highly articulate and was a social democrat. He gave the creative slogan of 'food, clothing and shelter' to the people who rallied behind him by the millions. He united the country after its breakup and brought back 90,000 POWs without giving up an inch of Pakistan's space or its claim on Kashmir. He united the Muslim world towards the revival of the Islamic heritage as a message of love, peace and brotherhood. He was committed towards and gave a new social order to the people, economic revival to the country, and a revived foreign policy. He gave voting rights to masses and the country a unanimous Constitution. He was the pioneer of China Friendship during the cold war and further strengthened Pakistan's alliance with the west. He led Pakistan to heavy economic growth and major advances in nuclear technology. He knew his people well and cared much about them that he was popularly called "Quaid e Awam" or the leader of the masses. He was clearly the undisputed leader of the developing world. He was well respected by most western journalists and leaders, including President John F Kennedy, who once said if Bhutto was American, he would have been his Secretary of State. Pakistan was lucky to have Shaheed Bhutto as its first democratically elected Prime Minister.

Shaheed Bhutto was martyred at the young age of 51 by those who could not bear to see Pakistan and its people reach greater heights. But even three decades after his martyrdom, he lives on among his tens of millions of followers. Today, his valiant daughter Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who became the youngest and the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim state, and with all the attributes of the Centurion Leader, has continued with the mission of Shaheed Bhutto towards the restoration of the dignity, social and democratic rights of the people of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan need her for their salvation for they know it is only her who can lead them out of despair and Pakistan towards economic prosperity.