Dear Sir,
Charismatic, striking and a canny political operator, Benazir Bhutto, was reared amid the privileges of Pakistan’s aristocracy and the ordeals of its turbulent politics. Smart, ambitious and resilient, she endured her father’s execution and her own imprisonment at the hands of a military dictator to become the country’s – and the Muslim world’s – first female leader.
A woman of grand aspirations with a taste for complex political movements, Bhutto was first elected prime minister in 1988 at the age of 35. The daughter of one of Pakistan’s most intelligent and democratically inclined prime ministers, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, she inherited the mantle of the populist People’s Party that he founded, and which she came to personify.
Despite numerous accusations of corruption and being removed as prime minister twice for the same charges, she staged a high-profile return to her home city of Karachi in October 2007, drawing millions of supporters to an 11-hour rally. Foreshadowing of the attack that killed her, the triumphal return parade was bombed, killing at least 134 of her supporters and wounding more than 400, Bhutto herself narrowly escaped harm and shouted at later rallies, “Bhutto is alive!” and yes she’s truly living in hearts of her supporters and followers.
(Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007 in Rawalpindi, while campaigning ahead of elections scheduled for January 2008.)

Waqar Qadeer
Doha

Confusion over winter holidays

Dear Sir,

This year there was no winter vacation for certain Indian schools whereas some schools have given one week and some two weeks of holidays in December. 
The Supreme Council of Education (SEC) had advised schools to revise their holiday schedules to bring in uniformity among all schools but this has not been correctly implemented by all the schools. It seems some schools are still confused over the winter holidays. The earlier system of bi-annual vacation had given room for parents to schedule their annual leave in such a way that it did not clash with the leave plan of their colleagues.
For most parents now, the only option is to travel during the summer vacation. As a result, air fares soar during July-August. By January itself, tickets are overbooked for the summer holidays.
Earlier, parents had the option to go on vacation along with their children either in winter or in summer but the new system has reduced it to summer only. It is understandable that employees who have their families in Qatar want to go on vacation during school holidays.
Though some schools give holidays in January, February and March they are not useful for either the students or the parents. Having a week’s holiday in January and another week in February is not beneficial even for the school staff.
I request the authorities concerned to look into this and do the needful.

 Sadique K P 
 [email protected]