While it is true emergency was imposed and it is difficult to mobilize the masses, the rhetoric of ‘giving life for Bhutto’ by either people or politicians was empty! (Not that I wish people should have died on streets)
Many avenues of protest still were open despite emergency.Bhutto did hunger strike in jail, didn’t he?
Could the heavy hand over lawyers by Musharraf stop lawyers from protesting for example?
Let’s face it, Bhutto was a politician and had made many mistakes. Before he was hung, not only people but even Bhutto was thinking nothing will happen to him.
Bhutto’s close allies knew he was guilty one way or other, and did not want to go all the way to support him.
Personally, he should not have been hung and perhaps he deserved some time in jail. This was not ‘first degree murder’ and I am no lawyer nor I know all the details of the case.