Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are a famous political dynasty. Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s. His government was one of the few in the 30 years following independence that was not run by the army. Her bothers and mother, Begum Nusrat Bhutto were also involved in politics.
Mohtarma Benazir Buttho, leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has twice been prime minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. On both occasions she was dismissed from office by the president for alleged corruption. She says she was illegally dismissed.
Benazir Buttho – The Early Years
The former 12th and 16th Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was born in Karachi, Pakistan on June 21, 1953 to a prominent political family. At age 16 she left her homeland to study at Harvard's Radcliffe College. After completing her undergraduate degree at Radcliffe she studied further at England's Oxford University, where she was awarded a second degree in 1977.
She returned to Pakistan where her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had been elected Prime Minister, but days after her arrival, the military seized power and her father was imprisoned.
Determination and Strong Will – Benazir Bhutto Comes to Power
The determination and strong will for which Ms Bhutto is renowned was first seen after her father was imprisoned by a foremr ally, General Zia ul-Haq in 1977, following a military coup. Two years later he was executed.
The young Benazir Bhutto was also imprisoned just before her father's death and spent most of her five-year jail term in hard solitary confinement. She was eventually permitted to leave the country in 1984 and settled in London where along with her two brothers, she founded an underground organization to resist the military dictatorship in Pakistan.
She returned to Pakistan in 1986, attracting huge crowds to political rallies. The public response to her return was overwhelming and she publicly called for the resignation of Zia Ul Haq, whose government had executed her father.
Bhutto and her PPP Win the Elections
She was elected co-chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) along with her mother. When free elections were finally held in 1988, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister. At 35, she was one of the youngest chief executives in the world and the first woman to serve as Prime Minister in an Islamic country.
At a Public Meeting in Mirpur Kas in 1968, Benazir Bhutto said: "I cannot tender you any other advise but that the Pakistan People's Party is a party which has come into being on the basis of certain principals. Those principals are democracy, which is our policy, socialism, which is our economic program and Islam, which is our religion..."
Her first erm was marked by increased ethnic violence in her home province of Sindh; strong political opposition from her main rival, Nawaz Sharif.
Only two years into her first term, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Bhutto from office for corruption. She initiated an anti-corruption campaign and in 1993 was re-elected as Prime Minister. In 1996 President Leghari of Pakistan dismissed Benazir Bhutto once again from office, alleging mismanagement.
Controversial Husband, Asif Zardari
Looking into all the corruption allegations against Bhutto over the years (there are plenty) the name that always crops up is that of her husband Asif Zardari. He played a prominent role in both her administrations and has been accused by various Pakistani governments and by other parties abroad of a variety of crooked and shady deals - charges he and his wife absolutely deny.
And they may be onto something because none of almost 18 corruption and criminal cases against Zardari has been proven in court after 10 years. But he served at least eight years in jail.
Benazir Buttho and General Musharraf Reach an Understanding
After reaching an understanding with General Musharraf by which she was granted amnesty and all corruption charges were withdrawn, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan in October 2007 .
During her years outside Pakistan, Ms Bhutto lived in self-imposed exile with her three children, Bilawal, Bakhtwar and Aseefa in Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004.
Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October despite death threats from radical Islamists. Ms Bhutto has been negotiating a power-sharing deal with General Musharraf to enable her to return to Pakistan - and seek a third term as prime minister even though this would entail a constitutional amendment.
Bhutto discusses her personal life and political career in her autobiography "Daughter of Destiny", which was published in 1989 to favorable reviews.
28 December 2007 - Benazir Bhutto is assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
References:
Pakistan People's Party PPP -USA Website and Pakistan Website
Also Read:
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
