Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as Prime Minister of Pakistan twice — in 1988-90 and 1993-96 — becoming the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country. Born on 21 June 1953 in Karachi, she was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party and a former prime minister.

Early life and exile

Benazir studied at Harvard University and the University of Oxford, where she was elected president of the Oxford Union. After her father's execution in 1979, she became the symbolic leader of the PPP, enduring imprisonment and house arrest under the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq before going into exile in 1984.

Prime Minister

She returned to Pakistan in 1986 to a massive welcome and led the PPP to victory in the 1988 elections, becoming Prime Minister at age 35. Her first term was cut short in 1990; she returned to power in 1993, when her government pursued economic liberalisation and social programmes, including the Benazir Income Support Programme. Both terms ended with her dismissal amid corruption allegations that she always denied.

Assassination and legacy

After years of self-exile, Benazir returned to Pakistan in October 2007 ahead of elections, having negotiated a return with President Musharraf. On 27 December 2007 she was assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi. Her death triggered nationwide mourning and a wave of violence. She is remembered as a global icon of women's leadership and democratic resistance, and her family — husband Asif Ali Zardari and son Bilawal — have carried the PPP's legacy forward.