The nation is observing the 14th death anniversary of Pakistan’s first elected female prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Benazir was a Pakistani democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996.
She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto‚ a former prime minister of Pakistan and the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The charismatic leader was also known for her high-spirited quotes. Let’s have a look at some of them:
Best hijab
Benazir Bhutto: “The best hijab is in the eyes of the beholder.”
Idea
Benazir Bhutto: “You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea.”
A woman leader
Benazir Bhutto: “As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women’s issues, in bringing down the population growth rate… as a woman, I entered politics with an additional dimension – that of a mother.”
Oppression
Benazir Bhutto: “Oppression does not know the meaning of provincial boundaries. Aren’t our energies better spent fighting the common enemy instead of each other?”
Democracy
Benazir Bhutto: “Democracy is the best revenge.”
Dream
Benazir Bhutto: “I dream …of a world where we can commit our social resources to the development of human life and not to its destruction”
Religious extremism
Benazir Bhutto: “Extremism can flourish only in an environment where basic governmental social responsibility for the welfare of the people is neglected. Political dictatorship and social hopelessness create the desperation that fuels religious extremism.”
An uncompromising leader
Benazir Bhutto: “To make peace, one must be an uncompromising leader. To make peace, one must also embody compromise.”
Political career
Benazir Bhutto: “I have led an unusual life. I have buried a father killed at age 50 and two brothers killed in the prime of their lives. I raised my children as a single mother when my husband was arrested and held for eight years without a conviction – a hostage to my political career.”
Recorded and remembered
Benazir Bhutto: “What is not recorded is not remembered.”
Dictator
Benazir Bhutto: “Every dictator uses religion as a prop to keep himself in power.”
Freedom
Benazir Bhutto: “Freedom is not an end. Freedom is a beginning.”
