Of Benazir's 'blasted' homecoming and India

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"There've been blasts in Pakistan. Benazir's motorcade is hit. 51 people are dead so far and hundreds are injured," said a friend who'd called from the newsroom in reply to a mid night insomnia SOS message. I instantly switched on the TV and usual blast footage flickered to life...wailing ambulances, bodies lying around on the road, smoke, fire and injured being rushed to the hospital. The screen was buzzing with updates and everyone was 'breaking news' including the BBC (they generally don't succumb to the breaking temptation). By morning a clearer picture emerged. I woke up to the news that Benazir was safe, a lot of people who had gathered to welcome her were not as lucky. It was what everyone rightly called a 'Bloody Homecoming' and could it have been bloodier? The death toll by now had crossed 150 with the number of injured at around 450. Pakistan was....