Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, is being commemorated today on her 70th birth anniversary. Born on June 21, 1953, in Karachi’s Pinto Nursing Home, Benazir Bhutto was the cherished daughter of the revered martyr, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
Due to her status as her father’s beloved daughter, Benazir Bhutto traveled with him to foreign lands during her childhood. She had the opportunity to meet numerous world leaders at a young age and even became a student leader at the University of Oxford. Following her father’s arrest in 1977, she entered the political arena and courageously faced the regime of General Zia-ul-Haq alongside her mother, Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
In 1982, Benazir Bhutto was elected as the Chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party. After years of exile, she returned to Lahore in 1986, receiving a historic welcome and embarking on a nationwide tour. In 1987, she entered into a marital union with Asif Ali Zardari and made history by becoming Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister after a landmark victory in the 1988 general elections.
Her government was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, but she returned to the forefront of the political struggle. Benazir Bhutto was again elected as Prime Minister in 1993 but was once again removed from office in 1996.
After years of exile, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18, 2007, and was tragically assassinated upon her arrival at Karachi Airport, with more than 800 individuals losing their lives in the heinous attack.
Today, we honor the legacy of the valiant Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister, as the nation celebrates her 70th birth anniversary.