Benazir Bhutto, Life of Great Loss

Benazir Bhutto (http://anthonysuau.photoshelter.com/image/I0000Oir (Anthony Suau))

Benazir Bhutto was born in Karachi but her family originated were from Larkana. She went to England for her education. After completing her undergraduate degree at Radcliffe, she studied at England's Oxford University, where she was awarded a second degree in 1977. She came back to Pakistan where her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had been elected as prime minister, but weeks after her arrival, the military took power and her father was imprisoned. In 1979 he was hanged by the military government of General Zia Ul Haq. After the hanging of Zulfikar, Benazir and Murtaza(her brother) were arrested. After PPP's (Her fathers political party) victory in the local elections, General Zia postponed the national elections indefinitely and moved Benazir, Murtaza, and their mother Nusrat from Karachi to Larkana Central Jail. He moved them back and forth from jail to jail and house arrest in Larkana and Karachi. In January 1984, after six years of house arrests and imprisonment under harsh circumstances. General Zia-ul-Haq surrendered to international pressure and allowed Bhutto's family to travel abroad for medical reasons. She resumed her political activities and began to raise awareness about the mistreatment of political prisoners in Pakistan at the hands of the Zia rule. Now exiled in Britain, She became a leader in exile of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a woman was the chairman of a major political party.Bhutto's efforts intensified pressure on General Zia, pushing him to hold a referendum to prove his government's validity. Only 10% of the electorate turned out despite encouragement by the state machinery. In 1985 Bhutto received news at a local hotel in Nice, France that her brother Shahnawaz was murdered by poisoning. The Bhutto family believed that this was plotted under orders from Zia, making them to go into hiding. When the international community pressured General Zia he was forced to hold elections, Bhutto announced a boycott of the election, arguing that, they were not being held in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan. She continued to raise her voice against human-rights violations by Zia. In retaliation, Zia announced death sentences for 54 members of her party at a military court in Lahore headed by Zia himself. Following Zia's death in a plane crash in August 1988, that November the first open general elections in more than a decade were held. Bhutto's PPP won in several provinces and had the largest percentage of seats in the National Assembly, the lower part of Pakistan's parliament. As the chairperson of her party, Bhutto was to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was the first female prime minister of an Islamic country on December 1, 1988. She won a further election in 1993 but was replaced in 1996. While in self-imposed exile in Britain and Dubai, she was declared guilty in 1999 of corruptionand sentenced to three years in prison. She continued to direct her party from abroad, being re-affirmed as PPP leader in 2002. Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18, 2007, after President Musharraf granted her amnesty on all corruption charges, making a way for her return. Bhutto was killed when an assassin fired shots and then blew himself up after an election campaign rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007. The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, eight miles south of Islamabad.

Ocean of supporters (http://anthonysuau.photoshelter.com/image/I00006zy (Anthony Suau))

You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only option. For Benazir Bhutto being strong was the only option she had after she lost her whole family. Jasleen wrote,"Benazir Bhutto had those qualities, for she did not keep silent and, despite the strong hand of the military, spoke up her mind and repeatedly criticized the harsh military rule at grave danger to her safety and security."(Jasleen. "Benazir Bhutto.") She stood and fought for the rights of people against the power of the military. She wasn't afraid of the consequences, because she knew what she was doing was for the right cause. She knew her father was killed in the same attempt and she could be too but she was not afraid. An article stated, "Benazir Bhutto was the first democratically elected female leader of a Muslim country during a tumultuous life that ended with her assassination. ("Benazir Bhutto."History.com. A&E Television)  Benazir Bhutto was one of the only female Muslim to stand for the rights of people and she wasn't afraid of the consequences she only saw that she could make a change and improve life for millions of people. She was a strong person in all aspects.

We all have dreams, but to make them come true we need an awful lot of dedication and Benazir showed this, Benazir energetically, but sadly said, "My father, what did he get ? He got hanged. What did I get ? I got slandered, Let there be a new leadership. I want my party to win the next elections, and I will help my party prepare to win. But I don't want to be prime minister"("Benazir Bhutto.") She knew what she wanted to do. She didn't want the power after somebody claimed all she wants is power, so she decided that she won't take power but she will help her political party win the elections. The article above also stated,"Bhutto returned to Pakistan in 1977, and was placed under house arrest after the military coup led by General Zia ul-Haq overthrew her father's government. One year after Zia ul-Haq became president in 1978, the elder Bhutto was hanged after his conviction on charges of authorizing the murder of an opponent. She inherited her father's leadership of the PPP."("Benazir Bhutto." History.com. A&E Television) After living a very good life abroad for a number of years she left to come back to her own country for the people of Pakistan and she rose for the rights of the people of her country following the footsteps of her father. She was determined to bring a change and she went through extreme situations to bring the change she wanted to improve Pakistan's stability

Ocean of supporters (time.com (Daniel Berehulak))

"Benazir's life may have been cut short by the bullets of terrorists, but her legacy is bound to remain alive in Pakistan. It is indeed amazing that Benazir, whether being in or out of the office in Pakistan, left her imprints on Pakistan's political horizons. Her heroic struggle to establish democratic institutions will continue to be cherished by the Pakistani people"(Jasleen. "Benazir Bhutto."). People look up to her because she lost her whole family for this country and they could also do something for the cause of others and even several years after her death the struggles she gave for her people are showing positive effects and they will continue to give a postive effect in the years to come. "Bhutto addressed a rally of thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, 8 miles south of Islamabad"("Benazir Bhutto."History.com. A&E Television). People loved her and thought of her as an idol even before she died she addressed thousands of people and inspired them by showing how much change one person could bring for them. She was a very brave, determined and a courageous person who faced extreme situations in her life, but did not let them deter her from her goal. Even after her death till this day people love her for what she had done for them. They look up to her as a role model and are following in her footsteps by trying to bring a change because they know that one person can change the future of a whole nation.

Works Cited

"Benazir Bhutto." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 18 May. 2015

<http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Benazir_Bhutto.aspx>

"Benazir Bhutto." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 10 May 2015.

<http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/benazir-bhutto>

"Benazir Bhutto." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1989. Biography in Context. Web. 18 May 2015.

<http://ic.galegroup.com>

Jasleen. "Benazir Bhutto." Myhero.com. Myhero.com, 18 May 2010. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=B_Bhutto_dnhs_US_2010>

Panhwar, Sani H., Mr. "Bhutto." Bhutto. PPP, n.d. Web. 16 May 2015.

<http://www.bhutto.org>

Panhwar, Sani H., Mr. "Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Daughter of East."Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Daughter of East. PPP, n.d. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://benazir.bhutto.org>