New Delhi: It is a fact universally acknowledged that Benazir Bhutto is one of the most iconic names in the history of Asian politics and also of the world politics. She did the unthinkable at that time by excelling in Pakistan politics which was massively male-dominated. She served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan twice, first from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996.
Also, she was the first woman to be elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country. However, on December 27, 2007, the decorated life of Bhutto came to a tragic end when she was assassinated. Interestingly, her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who served as both the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan also met a sad end to his life, as he was tried and executed.
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto: A tragedy in Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto led a very interesting life before the assassination. After the execution of her father, she took over the reins of the party he founded, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and was even imprisoned multiple times when Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq’s military government was at the helm of the country’s affairs. She defied all odds in a male dominated country like Pakistan and became the PM twice. But each time, her government was dismissed and she could not complete her tenure. She lived in exile in Dubai and London, and was always one of the most prominent faces in Pakistan politics.
In the 1997 general elections in Pakistan, PPP lost and Bhutto went into self-exile in 1998 to Dubai and London. Almost a decade later, in 2007, she returned to Pakistan with the help of the United States with the intention to run in the 2008 general elections. Bhutto set out on an extensive campaign and her focus was on civilian oversight of the military and opposition to growing Islamist violence in the country, both of which rattled certain sections of the society.
The bullets and bombs at Rawalpindi
On October 18, 2007, the Karsaz bombing took place. It was an attack on a motorcade carrying Benazir Bhutto and even though she escaped this attempt, she was not so fortunate in another attempt which took place a couple of months later.
On December 27, 2007, Bhutto had just finished a political rally at Liaqat National Bagh in Rawalpindi. Right after the rally, shots were fired at her and a suicide bomb was detonated. Bhutto was taken to the Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was declared dead. Over the years, there has been several controversies over the cause of her death, with some believing she was shot while others opining that she hit her head on her vehicle’s sunroof due to the force of the explosion.
Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister, led a remarkable yet tragic life. Twice elected PM, she faced imprisonment, exile, and ultimately assassination in 2007. Her death, following a political rally, remains shrouded in controversy. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
