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Benazir Bhutto

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in Pakistan on 27 December 2007

Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus Statement on Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

3 January 2008

As young Commonwealth leaders and active members of society between the ages of 18 and 29, we are greatly saddened by the assassination of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan on 27 December 2007

While we do not take sides in the political arena in any country, this event may be seen as an indication that the world in general is slipping further away from peace.


As young people who are aware that such an event is likely to have global ramifications, we encourage our peers in Pakistan, the Commonwealth and across the world to take this opportunity to strongly promote peace in their own communities to show that civil paths to peace still exist in times of turmoil.

To move forward, young leaders of the Commonwealth encourage our national leaders to engage youth in positive ways, not only during the aftermath of Bhutto's death, but in the longer term so as to prevent events like this from occurring again. We encourage national, regional and community leaders to set the foundations for peace in their own communities by offering distinctly non-violent channels of youth engagement in society, such as employment opportunities, interfaith and inter-ethnic initiatives, community service programmes, classes on world civilisations and conflict resolution, and opportunities for reconciliation.

We ask this not only for ourselves but for the future of the Commonwealth and by extension our global society which must learn from this tragedy.

Mobafa Baker

Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus

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