Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was the first woman Prime Minister of the country who achieved many records and made serving the country and the nation her motto throughout her life. Today, on 27th December, 15 years of his martyrdom have been completed.
Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 to Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, but till today no one could answer the painful question of who killed the country’s first woman prime minister.
Benazir Bhutto received her primary education from Lady Jennings Nursery School and Convent of Jesus and Mary in Karachi under the shadow of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. For 2 years, the education continued in Rawalpindi and then in Murree.
After passing her O-level examination, 15-year-old Benazir Bhutto set out for higher education and then entered Harvard University in 1969. Benazir Bhutto completed her graduation in 1973. She also did Masters’s in Economics, Political Science and Philosophy from Oxford University.
It was June 1977 when Benazir Bhutto was to be appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but upon her return, General Zia-ul-Haq imprisoned former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and imposed martial law and Benazir Bhutto was also detained. In 1979, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged.
In 1981, Ms. Benazir Bhutto started a political struggle against martial law under the MRD alliance. Became the chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party in 80s, married Asif Ali Zardari in 1987.
Later, on 2 December 1988, 35-year-old Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as the country’s first woman prime minister. His government was overthrown in 1990 on corruption charges, then Nawaz Sharif became the Prime Minister in 1990.
Benazir Bhutto became the prime minister again in October 1993 after Nawaz Sharif’s government ended. In 1996, then-President Farooq Leghari sacked this government on allegations of corruption, extrajudicial killings and unrest.
As Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto did many things for women. Abolished discriminatory laws, brought rights, and established the Ministry of Human Rights. Established labor colonies in every city, passed legislation for workers and removed restrictions on trade unions.
Today, the death anniversary of Ms. Benazir Bhutto Shaheed is being observed. She was martyred on 27 December 2007 at the age of 54. Women across the country, laborers and all those Pakistani citizens for whom Benazir Bhutto worked, are praying for her eternal peace today.
