LAHORE – The 64th birthday of the first woman prime minister of Pakistan and the Muslim world Benazir Bhutto is being celebrated today (June 21).
Tributes will be paid to Benazir Bhutto, who was martyred on December 27, 2007, for the political struggle she waged and for never bowing before dictatorship.
She was born in Karachi in 1953 to prominent political personality prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Benazir was encouraged by her father to participate in politics.
Political Struggle
After her father was hanged to death, she started her heroic struggle against dictatorship and proved herself to be the absolutely worthy political heir of her father.
After she came back to Pakistan in 1977, Benazir was put under house arrest after the military toppled her father’s government. A year later, General Mohammad Ziaul Haq ordered the execution of Zulfiqar Bhutto.
In 1984, she shifted to England due to strict restrictions on her family, and resided there till 1988.
Benazir successfully led the People’s Party through the 1988 elections. After winning support from a coalition government in the National Assembly, Benazir assumed the Prime Minister’s Office in December 1988.
Benazir however struggled to maintain control over power, with both her tenures marked by political and economic instability. Benazir’s government was dismissed on August 7, 1990 by the then President who accused her administration of corruption and nepotism. She also held premier’s office for second time but assembly was dissolved again.
Bilawal’s Message
In his message on her 64th birthday anniversary, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto lived and laid down her life for the cause of downtrodden people while fighting tyranny.
Tribute
Meanwhile, PPP leaders and worker also expressed their feelings and paid tribute to their martyred leader Benzair Bhutto on Twitter.
A PPP leader Sharmila Faruqi said in his tweet, “We miss you”.
We miss you ?#HappyBirthDaySMBB #Icon #myHero #21stjune pic.twitter.com/O9fK4YlQuS
— Sharmila faruqi (@sharmilafaruqi) June 20, 2017
PPP lawmaker, Nafisa Shah calls her martyred leader, “an epic of struggle”.
Benazir
the story of a peoples’ Queen
an epic of struggle
a legend of brave death#SalaamBenazir #HappyBirthdaySMBB pic.twitter.com/6esQ9gNj2L— Nafisa Shah (@ShahNafisa) June 21, 2017
A writer Maleeha Manzoor tweeted as saying, “She would have been 64 today if she wasn’t snatched from us.”
She would have been 64 today if she wasn’t snatched from us.. #HappyBirthdaySMBB pic.twitter.com/131JCzOEq2
— Maleeha Manzoor (@MaleehaManzoor) June 20, 2017
A Lone Woman In Men’s World. ?
Proud To be Follower of #SMBB#HappyBirthdaySMBB pic.twitter.com/GhaNzFtVfI— Abdul Qadeer ?? (@ChacherQadeer) June 21, 2017
Assassination
After her eight-year long exile in Dubai, Benazir returned to Pakistan on 18 October, 2007. She remained safe in a suicide attack on her welcome procession in which 150 people lost their lives.
On December 27, 2007, Benazir was assassinated during a rally held at Liaquat Bagh prior to elections in the country. She came out from the sunroof of her vehicle to the loud cheers of the supporters when she was gunned down. She was 53 at the time.
Benazir was laid to rest alongside her family members in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, Sindh.
