Benazir Bhutto speaks to Gillingham and Rainham Conservatives
The Hon. Ms Bhutto announces support for Parliamentary Candidate

Twice former Prime Minister of Pakistan The Hon. Ms Benazir Bhutto spoke to Gillingham and Rainham Conservatives at a specially arranged event at the Corn Exchange, Rochester.

Ms Bhutto, who recently announced plans to return to Pakistan on October 18, attended the event after being invited by the Gillingham and Rainham Conservatives' Parliamentary Candidate, and Ms Bhutto's former adviser, Cllr Rehman Chishti.

The primary theme of Ms Bhutto’s speech was of supporting Reh Chishti, who she called a role model for politics (through his hard work and determination), expressing her sense of loss but saying that, ultimately, her loss was Gillingham and Rainham’s gain.

Ms Bhutto spoke of terrorism and dictatorships, saying “people don’t want terror” and that “democracy is the best way to undermine terrorism. Dictatorships fuel terrorism: a dictatorship needs an external threat to justify its existence in power and so lacks the will to take on the terrorists.”

Ms Bhutto also spoke of her delight at seeing such a diverse audience: “people from the Sikh community, people from the Muslim community and people from the British community,” and welcomed the attendance of the “distinguished Bishop of Rochester, for whom I have a great admiration.”

Among those present in the packed Corn Exchange hall were the Bishop of Rochester, Kirsten Schwarz from the US Embassy, who also pledged to support Cllr Chishti, and Cadets from 1039 (Gillingham) Squadron, Air Training Corps, who provided a Guard of Honour for Ms Bhutto (as can be seen in the video, below).

The event was covered by two broadcasting TV channels and numerous print media.

Posted on September 21, 2007