The Bhutto family has been considered an important and influential family in Pakistan’s politics due to various political controversies, national issues, and various statements. However, unnatural deaths in this family have always been a cause for concern.
After Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged to death on April 4th, 1979, the Bhutto family suffered another great tragedy on July 18th, 1985 in the form of Shahnawaz Bhutto’s mysterious death.
Today on the 35th death anniversary of Shahnawaz Bhutto let’s take an in-depth review of his life and what actually happened on July 18th, 1985.
Early Life and marriage
Shahnawaz Bhutto was the son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto, who was of Iranian Kurdish descent. Shahnawaz Bhutto was the youngest of Bhutto’s four children. He received his early education in Pakistan and later traveled to abroad to complete his higher education. Shahnawaz Bhutto was still studying when his father died. Both brothers Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto married two sisters.
After the alleged involvement of Shahnawaz’s wife Rehana in the murder of Shahnawaz, Murtaza Bhutto divorced his wife.
ZAB’s death and Shah’s role
When the military coup took place against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on July 5, 1977, Shahnawaz was on holiday in Pakistan. He went back to Switzerland to continue his studies on the instructions of his parents.
When Bhutto was sentenced to death by the chief justice of Lahore High Court on March 18, 1978, Shahnawaz left Switzerland and joined his brother in London to helped Mir Murtaza Bhutto in his international campaign to save his father’s life.
The two brothers in an interview with international media said that Zia-ul-Haq tortured their father for 2 years and made a vicious attempt to erase his identity and eventually killed him.
Shahnawaz is also believed to have helped organize a group dedicated to overthrowing the regime of President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, through links to Al-Zulfiqar increasingly active in Pakistan at that time.
Shahnawaz mysterious death
Shahnawaz Bhutto was spending holidays with all his family members in the south of France. They were up late at night and having nice family time. The next morning, his wife Rehana informed Begum Nusrat Bhutto that Shahnawaz was dead.
In this regard, The French police detained Rehana on charges of not helping her dying husband as per French law. She was released after six months and moved to California, USA. There were rumors that some important authorities played a role in her release.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto immediately divorced his wife Fouzia on suspicion that her sister Rehana had a hand in his brother’s death.
A long investigation was conducted since the foul play was suspected, leading to an agonizing period for members of the Bhutto family.
On August 20th, 1985, French authorities released the body of Shahnwaz Bhutto to his sister, and on August 22nd, Benazir Bhutto brought her brother back to Larkana. Shahnawaz was bathed at al-Murtaza and buried near his father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in their ancestral graveyard at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
Some rumors were spread that General Zia-ul-Haq forced Pakistani media to portray Shahnawaz Bhutto’s death due to drug and alcohol use. Even after 35 years, nothing has been found.
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