Woman in politics? For Islam the concept is very conditional. She, of course, can head the city public committee. Or, if the wind is favorable, become an assistant to a local deputy. And as a rule, women are not allowed to enter big politics. All the more surprising in the light of these facts is the figure of Benazir Bhutto, who for the first time in modern history twice headed the government of a Muslim country.
In captivity
“Without fear, I stepped onto the beaten path of politics that passes through the valley of death,” said Benazir Bhutto. But there was something to be afraid of. During the military coup in 1977, her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, was arrested, and then Benazir herself. Zulfiqar was secretly executed in 1979, although Margaret Thatcher, Leonid Brezhnev, Indira Gandhi and Jimmy Carter asked to commute the sentence. At the time of her execution, the daughter was locked in an abandoned police camp several miles from the prison. The military showed amazing cruelty by forbidding her to attend the funeral.
Benazir with his father and Indira Gandhi. (pinterest.com)
And if in her youth Bhutto dreamed of the diplomatic service, now her dreams took on a different character. The reprisal against her father, who in the girl’s eyes was the embodiment of justice, made her think about a political career. However, these plans had to be postponed. The new head of Pakistan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, saw the politician as a possible enemy in his daughter, and therefore she regularly found herself under house arrest. For the active Benazir, this was not an easy test. “I’m lucky that there are cats in the house with me, but conversations with cats are somewhat one-sided,” she writes in her memoirs. In 1984, she was finally allowed to travel to the UK. Even while in exile, she successfully led the Pakistan People's Party.
Black Rose of Pakistan
It was not for nothing that the new president vaguely sensed a threat from Bhutto. The party founded by her father turned out to be surprisingly resilient. The idea of social justice found more and more sympathizers as General Zia's policies unfolded in full swing. He decided to revive the way of the Middle Ages in Pakistan, returning the norms of Muslim law and the traditional system of punishments. A woman's testimony in court now weighed half as much as a man's. In addition, the president arrogated to himself the right to dissolve the government and legislative bodies. He took advantage of it in 1988 by dissolving the lower house of parliament.
Increasingly, people in Pakistan remembered Benazir’s father, who in the eyes of many remained an innocent victim. However, popular love was not so strong as to give his daughter a pass into big politics. Benazir was called a “silly little one” who had no place at rallies. She will fight gender stereotypes throughout her career. Having already become prime minister, Benazir becomes pregnant with her second child. Opponents will say that childbirth will make her incapacitated, and chaos will reign in government affairs. Without waiting for demonstrations, Bhutto will consult a doctor. She will have a caesarean section. The next day she will return to work. Now Benazir is not a “silly baby”, but a “black rose of Pakistan”.
Benazir Bhutto with his family. (pinterest.com)
The conservatism of a Muslim country makes Bhutto's career a phenomenon. And yet it became possible - also thanks to the policies of her father. Under Zulfiqar, women gained access to civil service, and their educational opportunities expanded. In addition, they were guaranteed about 5% of seats in municipalities.
Benazir’s figure is also phenomenal because the vast majority of Pakistani women in the 80s did not show any interest in politics. Islamic culture prepares girls primarily for marriage and raising children. And if the marriage goes well, a happy life is limited to the confines of the home. Bhutto was wired differently. She prepared for an intense struggle, and studied the subtle art of politics at Oxford and Harvard.
Election fever
In 1988, the head of Pakistan died in a plane crash. By this time, Benazir had already returned to her homeland. The death of her longtime enemy, General Zia, opened up new horizons for her.
Parliamentary elections were scheduled for November 1988. Benazir threw herself headlong into the election race, leaving nothing to chance. Daily press conferences, negotiations with allies from the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, meetings with activists... About 18 thousand people wanted to become candidates from her party. The new president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, knew about Benazir's popularity, and all sorts of obstacles were placed in her path. Campaigning in the media and party symbols were banned. Then Benazir went on a campaign trip by train. At each stop, people sat down next to her, talked, then got off, and were replaced by new fellow travelers. Now Bhutto's slogans were more about democracy than socialism. A great success for Bhutto was the collapse of the Muslim League, his main opponent.
Before the elections. (pinterest.com)
On November 16, her party won the parliamentary elections (94 out of 207 seats). On December 2, Benazir, dressed in white and green, the colors of the Pakistani flag, took the oath of office as head of government. There was a stream of congratulations from abroad, but the President of Pakistan hesitated in sending a congratulatory telegram. The Organization of the Islamic Conference was not very happy either - its representatives even proposed to exclude Pakistan from its membership.
Speech by Benazir Bhutto. (pinterest.com)
The troubles began in Benazir's first week in office. An explosive device was found along her route. This marked the beginning of repeated attempts on the politician's life.
Bhutto had the opportunity to rule the country in difficult times. The Afghan War (1979−1989) strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Negotiations on the formation of the interim government of Afghanistan in 1989 required a lot of effort from her. During meetings, male politicians demonstratively left the hall so as not to pray in the same room with a woman. The military put enormous pressure on Benazir, pushing through the necessary candidates. However, she toughly, and not at all like a woman, managed to insist on a compromise solution.
Bhutto's government initiated a partial amnesty for political prisoners, privatized the public sector and electrified villages. And everything would have been fine if not for my husband. Asif Ali Zardari was called "Mr. Ten Percent". This is exactly how much he wanted to receive from investors' investments. After corruption scandals in which Zardari's name appeared, the president dismissed the cabinet. Bhutto claimed that her fall was orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden “to replace democracy with theocracy.”
Despite the scandal, Benazir's popularity in Pakistan has not faded. Transformations in the social sphere have won the trust of many. In 1993, she won the elections again and united with the parliamentary opposition. She began reforms with renewed vigor. Free healthcare has appeared in Pakistan, and the percentage of illiterate people has decreased significantly. Foreign investment flowed into the country.
Benazir Bhutto at a rally. (pinterest.com)
Her second term lasted 3 years and again ended in a corruption scandal. Moreover, this time Bhutto was charged with contract killings. In 1999, she left the country with her children. And she returned only 8 years later, when President Pervez Musharaff signed an amnesty decree. Pakistan needed Benazir: only she was able to create an alliance between the military and the civilian population to fight radical Islamists. Bhutto knew that she had enemies among the latter. They warned her of possible terrorist attacks. On the very first day of the politician’s return to his homeland, two explosions occurred along the route of the motorcade. Benazir was wounded, but this did not break her will to fight.
On December 27, 2007, Bhutto spoke at a rally in Rawalpindi. As soon as she finished her speech, shots were fired from a suicide bomber, after which an explosive device went off. 25 people died along with her.
During her first term, she founded the People's Program for the Economic Upliftment of the Masses and overturned the ban on student and trade unions. Bhutto had his own vision of modern Pakistan, but political opponents and religious conservatives prevented it from being realized.
Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi. She was the eldest child of deposed Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (who was hanged by the military administration) and Begum Nusrat Bhutto, a member of parliament and deputy prime minister of Kurdish-Iranian origin. Her paternal grandfather was ethnic Sindhi Shahnawaz Bhutto.
Benazir studied at Lady Jennings Preschool and then at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Karachi. After two years of studying at a Catholic girls' school in Rawalpindi, she was sent to the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Marree. At the age of 15, she received her high school diploma. As a young woman, Benazir Bhutto idolized her father, and in response, he, contrary to local traditions, encouraged her desire to study.
In April 1969, she entered Radcliffe College at Harvard University. In June 1973, Benazir received a diploma in political science and was elected to the student honor society ΦΒΚ. In the fall of 1973, she entered Oxford University, where she studied philosophy, politics and economics. Here she was elected president of the prestigious Oxford Union. Before her, many future British prime ministers held this position.
A photo of Benazir Bhutto in his youth is given in the article.
After graduating from Oxford University in 1977, Bhutto returned to Pakistan. That same year, martial law was declared and her father was arrested. She was placed under house arrest during her father's imprisonment and execution in 1979. After she was allowed to return to the United Kingdom in 1984, she became the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), founded by her father. While in London, Benazir and her brother and sister created a resistance movement against the military dictatorship.
She did not want to get involved in politics until it affected her personal life. Benazir Bhutto developed a strong sense of purpose and wanted to continue her father's work. From 1979 to 1984, she was often subjected to house arrest, and in 1984 she was forced to leave the country.
Bhutto returned to Pakistan in April 1986 after martial law was lifted. The reaction to her return was loud as she began to speak out against Zia Ul Haq, publicly calling on the people for his resignation since it was his government that was responsible for the death of her father. She used any excuse to criticize the ruling regime. For example, after the country's defeat in the conflict with India over the Siachen glacier, Benazir Bhutto suggested that the general wear a burqa.
On November 16, 1988, in the first open elections in a decade, Bhutto's PPP won more seats in the National Assembly than other parties. On December 2, she was sworn in as prime minister of the coalition government. So, at the age of 35, Bhutto became the first female head of a Muslim state, and also the youngest.
Many Muslims were against it on the grounds that, according to Muhammad, those who entrust their affairs to women will not prosper (Bukhari 9:88, Hadith 119). Others quoted the Qur'an (2:228), which says that men are superior to them. Traditionally it was believed that women were prohibited from entering politics. Opponents cited photos of Benazir Bhutto dancing in a Paris nightclub as evidence of her un-Islamic behavior. Her innovative program also provoked resistance among conservative Muslims.
Islamic theologian and feminist Fatima Mernissi and her colleagues argued against this conservative approach, conducting a detailed analysis of Hadith 119. Her conclusion was that the reliability of its interpretation is questionable, and that there are no restrictions in Islam prohibiting women from holding public office. These differences in understanding of the faith certainly affected Bhutto's ability to make progress on her agenda.
During her first term, Bhutto overturned the ban on trade unions. She was also interested in providing electricity to rural areas and building schools throughout the country. The fight against hunger, housing and health care were important to her. She had her own vision for Pakistan's future. Unfortunately, her leadership and attempts to develop and modernize the country were consistently resisted by Islamic fundamentalist movements.
Following Bhutto's resignation on charges of corruption by Pakistan's military-backed President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who used the 8th Amendment to the constitution to dissolve Parliament, new elections were held in October 1990. This time the PPP lost. For the next three years, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif was prime minister.
In October 1993, regular elections were held. The PPP coalition won and Bhutto returned to government. But in 1996, it was dissolved once again on charges of corruption by President Farooq Leghari, who also used the powers granted by the 8th Amendment.
Benazir Bhutto was several times accused of corruption, which were later dropped. She was also charged with laundering public funds in Swiss banks in a case that has not yet been closed by a Swiss court. Bhutto and her husband are alleged to have embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars by claiming "commissions" on government contracts and other deals. Between 1994 and 2004, approximately 90 cases were opened, none of which were proven. Bhutto claimed that all the charges were politically motivated, and she readily defended herself.
Her husband Asif Ali Zardari spent 8 years in prison, although he was never convicted. He was kept in solitary confinement and, according to him, tortured. Human rights organizations also claim that Zardari's rights were violated. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif apologized for his role in Zardari's long imprisonment and the cases brought against Bhutto. This gives confidence that the charges were politically motivated. Zardari was released in November 2004.
During Benazir Bhutto's reign, due to difficult political realities, the muhajirs (an ethnically mixed group of immigrants) in Karachi were still subject to discrimination, violence and ethnic cleansing, although they represented approximately half of the city's population.
According to statements by Sindhi assemblyman Shoaib Bokhari, they believed that the Sindhi elite, including the Bhutto family, constituted only 2% of the population but controlled 98% of the country. He also argued that the federal government relied heavily on tax revenue from Karachi and its port, but invested little in the commercial center in return.
In 1995, there was a campaign of violence against the Muhajirs involving police and military forces, during which 2,000 people died. Most were victims of politically motivated extrajudicial killings that were never investigated. Many felt that Prime Minister Bhutto had not done enough to stem the tide of ethnic and religious violence.
However, terror against the Muhajirs took place earlier. Discrimination and killings began in 1986 and reached their peak in 1992, when 18,000 immigrants died.
During the reign of Benazir Bhutto, the Taliban movement gained great weight in Afghanistan. According to Taliban law, a woman had no right to be in power, but at the insistence of the Pakistani military, the prime minister agreed to support them. She and her government said they were providing only moral assistance and nothing more. Nevertheless, the Taliban came to power in Kabul in September 1996. Pakistan recognized it and allowed it to open an embassy in Islamabad. Only in 2007 did Bhutto speak out against the Taliban and condemn the terrorist acts committed by the organization.
During the election campaigns, Bhutto's government expressed concerns about social problems, health care and discrimination against women. Benazir also announced plans to create women's police stations, courts and development banks. Despite this, she did not introduce any bills to improve their social security.
Before the election, Bhutto promised to repeal controversial laws (such as hudood and zina) that restrict rights and discriminate against women in Pakistan. While in power, her party did not comply with this due to enormous pressure from the opposition. However, the PPP made legislative proposals to abolish zina during the regime of General Musharraf. These efforts were rejected by the religious right parties that dominated the legislature at the time.
In 2002, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who took part in the military coup in October 1999, introduced a new amendment to the country's constitution that prohibited prime ministers from serving more than two terms in power. This deprived Bhutto of the opportunity to run again. Perhaps the reason for this decision was Musharraf's desire to remove the country's former leaders from participation in politics. Bhutto sharply criticized the regime and participated in anti-government campaigns.
She lived with her children and mother in Dubai (UAE). From there she traveled the world, gave lectures and kept in touch with supporters of the Pakistan People's Party.
Benazir Bhutto and her three children were reunited with their husband and father in December 2004 after a 5-year separation.
In 2007, Musharraf and Bhutto held talks that resulted in the president signing an amnesty preventing any additional corruption charges. She was also allowed to participate in the promised general elections. She returned to her homeland on October 18 to campaign for elections, but soon began coordinating opposition to the state of emergency declared on November 3, 2007. Musharraf stepped down as head of the army to serve another term as Pakistan's president.
After returning home, Bhutto was attacked during a procession by a suicide bomber, which killed 140 people. Nevertheless, she continued the campaign. On December 27, 2007, a terrorist attack occurred at a party rally in Rawalpindi, located near Islamabad. Benazir Bhutto died along with 20 others as she left a rally. At the moment of her death, she greeted the crowd by leaning out of the car hatch. The killer shot her in the neck and chest from a distance of 2-3 m, and then blew himself up. Bhutto died before arriving at the hospital. No autopsy was performed. The murder shocked the whole world, and Musharraf declared 3 days of national mourning.
Bhutto was buried next to her father in the family mausoleum near Larkana.
The biography of Benazir Bhutto became an example for other Muslim women who wanted to lead their countries. Subsequently, women leaders emerged in Turkey, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Bhutto professed Islam, but supported a secular political system similar to that originally envisioned for Pakistan by the founder of the independent state, Muhammad Jinnah. He believed that religion should uphold moral values and the law while protecting religious freedoms.
Bhutto was a popular politician and, despite her privileged position, wanted to create a more balanced society. It is likely that the opposition of the power elite, including the military, led to accusations of corruption. Her policies irritated those who demanded that Pakistan become more Islamic by introducing 9th-century legal codes. and restrictions on women's participation in internal affairs. Her determination to campaign in 2007 when she knew her life was in danger demonstrates her courage and commitment to the democratic process.
Benazir Bhutto's biography is marked not only by political events. On December 18, 1987, she married Asif Ali Zardari. He came from a politically active, wealthy family in Sindh. They had three children: Bilawal (son of Benazir Bhutto), Bakhtawar and Asifa (daughters). Despite numerous charges and arrests, the wife always showed support and loyalty to her husband.
In the last years of Bhutto's life, the couple lived separately. Their friends also confirmed the breakup. However, Benazir herself claimed that Zardari was in New York for medical reasons. Perhaps because in Pakistan, divorce or a public breakup means the end of a political career.
Benazir Bhutto- Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, the first woman in recent history to be the head of government in a country with a predominantly Muslim population.
After a long stay in exile, she returned to her homeland, where during the last months of 2007 two attempts were made on her life. The first attempt was carried out on October 18, 2007, as a result of which more than 130 people were killed and about 500 were injured. As a result of the second terrorist attack on December 27, 2007, Bhutto died.
She was born in Karachi to a Pakistani father and an Iranian woman of Kurdish origin and was the first child in the family. Her ancestors were princes who ruled the Indian province of Sindh. Her grandfather Shah Nawaz Bhutto and father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto headed the government of Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Khan Bhutto received a European education and raised his daughter in a completely different way from what was customary in Islamic countries. Benazir Bhutto recalled:
“My father is a believing Muslim. When my mother put a veil on me at the age of 12, I told her: “Let her grow up and decide for herself whether to reveal her face or not - Islam gives a woman the right to manage her own life at her own discretion.” I didn’t wear the veil anymore.”
On December 18, 1987, Bhutto married Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi. Like Benazir, Zardari was a member of one of the rich families of Sindh. Zardari, like Bhutto, is a Shiite Muslim. According to the press, it was a marriage of convenience, to which Bhutto agreed voluntarily: in Zardari she saw a man ready to accept her progressive views acquired in the West. After marriage, Benazir chose to keep her father's surname. From this marriage Benazir Bhutto has three children: son Bilawal and daughters Bakhtawar and Asifa.
On November 16, 1988, in the first free parliamentary elections in more than a decade, the PPP won, and Bhutto took the post of prime minister. For the first time in the modern history of Muslim countries, a woman headed the government. This was largely due to the fact that her father's name was very popular. But the daughter removed a number of slogans and the word “socialism” from her program.
In 1993, Bhutto won the next election under the slogan of fighting corruption and poverty. The total number of votes received by the PPP was less than that of its main rival, the Muslim League, so Bhutto formed a coalition with conservative parties to form a government. In November, her brother, Murtaza, returned from emigration and demanded that he cede leadership of the party. Discord in the Bhutto family affected the unity of the party. He led the breakaway wing of the Pakistan People's Party - with the approval of their mother, who believed that family politics should be run by a man. Upon arrival in Karachi, Murtaza was arrested on terrorism charges, but was released on bail in June 1994.
Bhutto was charged with financial fraud and contract killings and was forced to leave the country; her husband spent more than five years in prison on bribery charges. She emigrated with three children to Dubai, where her husband also came after his release in 2004, and she lived in London for some time. In 2001, Pakistan passed a constitutional amendment that prohibited the same person from serving as prime minister more than twice, which was seen by many as an attempt by Musharraf to protect himself from competition from Bhutto in the event of democratic elections. That same year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered a new trial for Bhutto, meaning the 1999 conviction was suspended. Bhutto was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to appear in court, which was the basis for Bhutto's refusal to register as a candidate in the 2002 parliamentary elections. In 2003, a Swiss court found Bhutto and her husband guilty of money laundering and sentenced them to 6 months in prison, suspended.
Bhutto spent most of her time in London and Dubai, giving lectures around the world and maintaining contacts with the PPP leadership.
In January 2007, the first personal meeting between Benazir Bhutto and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took place in Abu Dhabi in order to establish contacts. President Musharraf signed a decree granting her and other opposition figures amnesty from corruption charges. Observers believe that Pakistan's military circles considered it an ally in the fight to isolate religious forces and Islamist militant groups. On October 18, 2007, Benazir Bhutto returned to her homeland after 8 years of forced exile. While the motorcade was passing, two explosions occurred in the crowd of supporters meeting her. More than 130 people died. About 500 were injured.
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Two months after the first assassination attempt, on December 27, Bhutto became the victim of a new terrorist attack in the city of Rawalpindi, where she was speaking in the area of Liaghat Bagh Park at a rally in front of her supporters. At the end of the rally, a suicide bomber shot her in the neck and chest, after which he detonated an explosive device. At the time of the attack, Bhutto was surrounded by guards wearing bulletproof vests. Bhutto herself was not wearing a bulletproof vest. During this terrorist attack, more than 20 people died; B. Bhutto was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, where soon at 16:16, without regaining consciousness, she died on the operating table.
This happened as a result of a suicide bomber at an election rally in Rawalpindi.
Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi. She came from the oldest aristocratic family. Father: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former President (1971-1973) and Prime Minister of Pakistan (1973-1977), executed in 1979. Mother - Nusrat Bhutto, politician.
In 1989, Benazir Bhutto graduated from Radcliffe College, Harvard University (USA) and Lady Margaret College, Oxford University (UK), studying politics, philosophy and economics. In 1977 she headed the student organization Oxford Union.
In June 1977, she returned to Pakistan and began to engage in political activities. In 1977-1984, after the military coup, she was repeatedly subjected to house arrests for participating in political actions against the Zia-ul-Haq administration.
In 1978, she joined the leadership of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), created by her father, and since 1982, she has actually headed it.
In 1984-1986, she and her family were in political exile in London, joining the bloc of Pakistani opposition parties, the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy.
In April 1986, Bhutto returned to Pakistan after martial law was lifted in 1985. In the same month, the first attempt was made on her life (subsequently, attempts were made on Bhutto in January 1997 and October 2007).
In 1986-1993 - co-chairman, from December 5, 1993 - chairman of the PNP. In March 1997, at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the PPP, Bhutto was elected lifelong chairman (in 1999, 2000 and 2002, this decision was confirmed at party congresses).
Since 1988, she has been re-elected several times as a member of the National Assembly (lower house of parliament).
In 1988-1990 - Prime Minister of Pakistan (was sworn in on November 30, 1988). She became the first female head of government in the Islamic world. At the same time, she headed the ministries of defense, finance, science and technology.
In 1990-1993, she headed the bloc of opposition parties, the People's Democratic Alliance (leader of the parliamentary opposition in the National Assembly). On October 6, 1993, the PPP won the parliamentary elections.
In 1993-1996 - Prime Minister of Pakistan (took the oath on October 19), and simultaneously served as Minister of Finance.
In November 1996, Pakistani President Farooq Leghari dissolved parliament, and the government of Benazir Bhutto resigned (the reason was accusations of “official inconsistency and corruption”). In the 1997 parliamentary elections, the PPP was defeated, and Bhutto again became the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.
In 1998, Bhutto was twice charged with corruption; in April 1999, Benazir and her husband were sentenced to five years in prison, and she was banned from engaging in politics for 5 years. In 1999, Bhutto emigrated to Dubai and lived in London for some time. In 2001, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Bhutto, which meant the 1999 conviction was suspended. Bhutto was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to appear in court, which was the basis for Bhutto's refusal to register as a candidate in the 2002 parliamentary elections.
In 2003, a Swiss court found Bhutto and her husband guilty of money laundering and sentenced them to 6 months in prison, suspended (Bhutto's bank accounts were blocked by Switzerland at the request of Pakistan in September 1997).
In 2006, Bhutto and her former political opponent Nawaz Sharif, the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz faction), signed in London the “Charter of Democracy” - an opposition program to restore democracy in the country, providing for the deprivation of the army of political functions and the establishment of control over it by the civil government.
In January 2007, the first personal meeting between Benazir Bhutto and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf took place in Abu Dhabi in order to establish contacts. On October 18, 2007, Bhutto returned to Pakistan, which was made possible by the National Accord Decree, which declared an amnesty for those who held government positions between 1988 and 1999. and against whom legal proceedings were brought on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
On the night of October 19, two explosions occurred on the road from the airport near Bhutto’s motorcade, killing 143 people and injuring more than 500 people. Bhutto herself was not harmed then.
On December 27, 2007, Benazir Bhutto died from wounds received in a suicide bombing following an election rally in Rawalpindi.
In the media, Bhutto was often called the "Iron Lady of the East." She entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular politician of 1995. Experts noted her “subtle political sense, ability to maneuver and inspire confidence.”
Bhutto's husband, businessman Asif Ali Zardari, comes from a wealthy family of Sindhi landowners. The family has three children - son Bilavar, daughters Bakhtavar and Asifa.
Based on materials from ITAR-TASS.
Benazir Bhutto is not just a politician of the first magnitude. Not just a two-time prime minister. She is the first and, alas, the only woman in modern history to become the head of government in a state where the majority of residents profess Islam. She lived a bright life, full of ups and downs. The news of the terrorist attack in which she died interrupted television broadcasts around the world. Benazir Bhutto herself tells us about her life and political career. "Daughter of the East. Autobiography" is her memoir. In the book, Benazir writes: “This life chose me.” Is it true that a descendant of the Bhutto family was simply destined to become the leader of the country, like her father, or was her success a consequence of the strong spirit, will and charisma of this amazing woman? You will learn about this from our article.
The future prime minister was born into the family of famous political figures of Pakistan - Bhutto. Benazir was the firstborn. Her parents, Zulfiqar Ali Khan and Nusrat Bhutto, had two more sons - Shahnawaz and Murtaza, and a daughter, Sanam. Benazir's paternal grandfather Shah Nawaz headed the government of Pakistan. Father too. Her mother, an Iranian of Kurdish origin, was actively involved in politics. So the soil in which Benazir grew up was suitable. Her father Zulfiqar was educated in Europe. Therefore, Benazir did not wear a veil to cover her face. She was born in Karachi on June twenty-first, 1953. Her parents, practicing Muslims, nevertheless enrolled her in Lady Jeggins' private kindergarten. Then the girl attended schools at Catholic missions in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At the age of fifteen she had already received her matriculation certificate.
The following year, 1969, Bhutto Benazir entered Harvard. There, in her own words, she “tasted the aroma of democracy for the first time.” Four years later, she received a bachelor's degree in public administration. In 1973 she moved to the UK and entered Oxford. At this university she specialized in economics, political science, philosophy and international law. While studying at Oxford, her leadership qualities and oratorical abilities were fully revealed. She was even elected president of the Oxford Union debating society. In the spring of 1977, Benazir graduated and returned to Pakistan. Her father at that time held prominent positions in the government of the country. He first served as president and then prime minister of Pakistan.
The girl first became a faithful assistant to her father, Zulfiqar Ali Khan Bhutto. Benazir dreamed of a diplomatic career, but her parent predicted a great future for her in her homeland. But his hopes were ended by a military coup led by dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. This happened just 2 months after Benazir returned to Pakistan. Zia-ul-Haq threw the girl into prison and executed her father in 1979, indiscriminately accusing him of contract killing of a political opponent. Benazir spent many years in prison, living in terrible conditions. Finally, in 1984, she was allowed to emigrate to the UK. Zulfiqar Bhutto established the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), whose head after his execution was his widow. But Benazir, being in British exile, actively led this political force. When General Zia-ul-Haq died in a plane crash, the girl was able to return to Pakistan. Three million people greeted her at the airport, indicating Benazir Bhutto’s unprecedented popularity.
It cannot be said that this extremely beautiful woman was passionate only about politics. However, the press stubbornly insisted that her marriage was an arranged marriage. They say she chose Asif Ali Zardari because he was from a clan related to her. His ancestors were wealthy Shiites from the province of Sindh. But, most likely, Asif Ali became close to Benazir Bhutto due to spiritual kinship. He also had progressive European views and was proud that his wife received an education at prestigious universities in the USA and Great Britain. But, nevertheless, the female politician, having gotten married, chose to keep her maiden name. Everyone in the world knew her as Benazir Bhutto. Children - son Bilawal and daughters Asifa and Bakhtavar - were born in this marriage. They say that Benazir found time and also paid a lot of attention to her family.
Largely due to the popularity of the executed Zulfiqar Ali Khan Bhutto, the PPP won the democratic elections in the fall of 1988. That's why his daughter became prime minister. She was thirty-five years old at that time. Thus, she became the youngest female prime minister. And in the Muslim world, such a post went to a representative of her gender for the first time in history. But Bhutto Benazir showed that she is not only a worthy daughter of her father, but also a skillful politician in her own right. She and her cabinet carried out a number of successful political and social reforms. After the dictatorship of Zia ul-Haq, trade unions, women's and human rights organizations were again allowed, and oppositionists were given access to government media. The prime minister has established friendly ties with long-time enemy India. But her husband, who became finance minister, was involved in corruption scandals. In 1990, the country's president, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, dismissed the cabinet of ministers headed by Bhutto.
But three years later, Benazir returned to politics again, this time not as successfully as before. Her party did not have a majority in parliament, so she was forced to create a coalition. Having won the prime minister's chair for the second time, Benazir Bhutto, whose photo never left the front pages of newspapers, began to make populist decisions. Thanks to her, electricity was supplied even to remote villages in Pakistan. She increased budget spending on health and education. Thus, illiteracy decreased by a third, and such a terrible disease as polio was defeated. The country's economic growth rate was gaining momentum, and the flow of foreign investment was increasing. But corruption scandals continued, and in 1997 the PPP lost the elections. The Phuto couple were charged with organizing contract killings and financial fraud. When Pervez Musharraf came to power in 1999, Benazir emigrated with her children to Dubai. Her husband received five years in prison.
The first conspiracy against a female prime minister was uncovered back in 1995. In 1997, Osama bin Laden offered a reward of ten million dollars on the head of Benazir Bhutto. In 2007, the President of Pakistan signed an amnesty against corruption charges against her and other oppositionists forced to leave their homeland. Thus, Benazir Bhutto once again shone on the political horizon of the country. President Musharraf tried to neutralize a strong opponent in the elections. He adopted an amendment to the constitution, according to which one person cannot be prime minister twice. And when the elections approached, he declared a state of emergency. In October, an attempt was made on her life, which turned out to be unsuccessful. Two months later, she became the victim of another terrorist attack. This happened just before the New Year, on December 27, in two thousand and seven, when she gave a speech in Rawalpindi.
