19 years after Karsaz bombing, questions over justice persist

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Nineteen years after the deadly Karsaz bombing in Karachi, questions over accountability and justice for the victims continue to haunt Pakistan’s political landscape, as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders remember those killed in the attack that targeted a procession welcoming former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

On October 18, 2007, two suicide bombers struck Bhutto’s homecoming procession near Karsaz on Shahrah-e-Faisal. Bhutto survived the attack, but more than 150 people were reported killed and hundreds injured, turning a celebration of her return from eight years of self-imposed exile into one of Pakistan’s deadliest political tragedies.

Less than three months later, on December 27, 2007, Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi after an election rally at Liaquat Bagh.

For PPP workers, the Karsaz bombing remains a symbol of political violence and sacrifice, while the unresolved questions surrounding the attacks on the Bhutto family continue to fuel demands for accountability.

A Family Marked by Political Tragedy

The Bhutto family has endured several deaths that have shaped Pakistan’s political history.

Former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979, following a trial during General Zia-ul-Haq’s military rule.

On March 6, 2024, the Supreme Court, responding to a presidential reference filed by President Asif Ali Zardari in 2011, concluded that Bhutto had not received a fair trial and that the constitutional requirements of due process had not been fulfilled. The court did not overturn his conviction, but its opinion raised serious questions about the judicial process that led to his execution.

Bhutto’s son Shahnawaz Bhutto died in France in July 1985 under circumstances that prompted controversy. Another son, Murtaza Bhutto, was killed in a police encounter in Karachi on September 20, 1996, during Benazir Bhutto’s second government.

Benazir herself was assassinated in December 2007, weeks after surviving the Karsaz bombing.

Investigations and Unanswered Questions

The investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination generated years of controversy. The government of General Pervez Musharraf blamed militants associated with Baitullah Mehsud, while questions over security arrangements and the handling of evidence remained central to public debate.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry report released in 2010 criticised the Musharraf government for failing to provide adequate security to Bhutto and said the crime scene had been improperly handled, compromising the investigation.

In 2017, an anti-terrorism court acquitted five accused in the assassination case and declared former military ruler Musharraf an absconder. The verdict did not bring the broader controversy surrounding the killing to an end.

PPP supporters continue to ask who ordered the attacks, whether security arrangements were deliberately weakened and why those ultimately responsible have not been conclusively identified through the judicial process. These questions remain allegations and unresolved matters rather than established findings against any particular individual.

The 2013 assassination of prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, who was involved in the Benazir murder case, further complicated the pursuit of accountability. His killing also remains a subject of concern.

PPP Governments Face Questions Over Accountability

The anniversary also brings renewed scrutiny of the PPP’s own record in pursuing justice.

The party governed the federal government from 2008 to 2013 and has led Sindh for much of the period since 2008. Despite its political influence, the lack of a conclusive judicial resolution identifying and punishing all those responsible for the Karsaz bombing and Benazir Bhutto’s assassination remains a source of frustration for many party workers.

The question of accountability has therefore become both a demand directed at state institutions and a challenge to the party’s own leadership.

Leaders Pay Tribute to Karsaz Martyrs

President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Asifa Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders paid tribute to those killed in the bombing, describing their sacrifices as part of the struggle for democracy, civilian supremacy and constitutional rule.

Zardari said the victims of Karsaz were heroes of democracy and called for their sacrifices to be remembered. Bilawal reiterated the importance of democratic and constitutional supremacy, while Asifa described the tragedy as an attack on people who had gathered to welcome their leader.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and senior PPP leaders also renewed calls for justice and accountability.

A commemorative ceremony is scheduled for 6pm at the Karsaz memorial, where Bilawal and Asifa Bhutto Zardari are expected to lay wreaths in honour of the victims.

A Legacy That Demands Answers

For the families of those killed and injured, the anniversary is more than a political commemoration. It is a reminder of the human cost of political violence and the need for credible investigations.

Nineteen years later, the Karsaz bombing remains a defining tragedy in Pakistan’s democratic history. The demand for justice continues, alongside questions about whether the perpetrators and facilitators of the attacks will ever face accountability through the courts.