Benazir Bhutto is not just a politician of the first magnitude. Not just twice prime minister. She is the first and, alas, the only woman so far in recent history who has become the head of government in a state where most residents profess Islam. She lived a bright, full of ups and downs life. The news of the terrorist attack in which she died interrupted television broadcasts around the world. Benazir Bhutto herself tells us about her life and political career. “Daughter of the East. Autobiography ”is her memoir. In a book, Benazir writes: "This life has chosen me." Is it true that the descendant of the Bhutto clan was simply doomed to become the leader of the country, like her father, or was her success a result of the strong spirit, will and charisma of this amazing woman? You will learn about this from our article.
Childhood and youth
The future prime minister was born in the family of famous politicians of Pakistan - Bhutto. Benazir was the firstborn. Her parents, Zulfikar Ali Khan and Nusrat Bhutto, had two more sons - Shahnavaz and Murtaza, as well as their daughter Sanam. Paternal grandfather Benazir Shah Navaz led the government of Pakistan. Father, too. Mother, an Iranian of Kurdish descent, was actively involved in politics. So the soil on which Benazir grew up was suitable. Her father Zulfikar was educated in Europe. Therefore, Benazir did not wear a veil covering her face. She was born in Karachi on June 21, 1953. Her Muslim practicing parents, however, sent her to Lady Jeggins’s private kindergarten. Then the girl attended schools at Catholic missions in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At fifteen, she had already received a matriculation certificate.
Continuing education
The following year, 1969, Bhutto Benazir entered Harvard. There, in her own words, she "tasted the scent of democracy for the first time." Four years later, she became a bachelor with a degree in public administration. In 1973, she moved to the UK and entered Oxford. At this university, she specialized in economics, political science, philosophy, and international law. During her studies at Oxford, her leadership and oratorical abilities were fully revealed. She was even elected president of the Oxford Union discussion group. In the spring of 1977, Benazir graduated and returned to Pakistan. Her father at that time held prominent posts in governing the country. He first served as president and then prime minister of Pakistan.
Political involvement
The girl first became a faithful assistant to her father, Zulfikar Ali Khan Bhutto. Benazir dreamed of a diplomatic career, but her parent predicted a great future for her at home. But the end of his hopes was a military coup led by dictator Muhammad Ziya-ul-Haq. This happened just 2 months after Benazir returned to Pakistan. Zia-ul-Haq threw the girl into prison, and executed her father in 1979, indiscriminately accusing him of contract killings of a political opponent. Benazir spent many years in prison, being in terrible conditions. Finally, in 1984 she was allowed to emigrate to the UK. Zulfikar Bhutto established the Pakistan People's Party (PNP), whose head after his execution was his widow. But Benazir, being in British exile, actively led this political force. When General Ziya-ul-Haq died in a plane crash, the girl was able to return to Pakistan. At the airport, she was met by three million people, which indicates the unprecedented popularity of Benazir Bhutto.
Biography, personal life
This is not to say that this extremely beautiful woman was only passionate about politics. However, the press persistently asserted that her marriage took place by calculation. Say, she chose Asif Ali Zardari, because he was from her sister clan. His ancestors were rich Shiites from the province of Sindh. But, most likely, Asif Ali became close to Benazir Bhutto because of spiritual kinship. He, too, had progressive European views and was proud that his wife was educated at prestigious universities in the USA and Great Britain. But, nevertheless, the female politician, having married, chose to leave her maiden name. Everyone in the world knew her as Benazir Bhutto. Children - the son of Bilaval and the daughters of Asif and Bakhtavar - were born in this marriage. It is said that Benazir found time and also paid much attention to the family.
First premiere
Largely due to the popularity of the executed Zulfikar Ali Khan Bhutto in the democratic elections in the fall of 1988, the PNP won. Therefore, his daughter became the prime minister. She was thirty-five years old at that time. Thus, she became the youngest woman prime minister. And in the Muslim world, a representative of her gender got such a post for the first time in history. But Bhutto Benazir showed that she is not only a worthy daughter of her father, but also a skilled independent politician. She and her cabinet carried out a series of successful political and social reforms. After the dictatorship of Ziya-ul-Haq, trade unions, women's and human rights organizations were again allowed, and opposition members gained access to government media. The prime minister has established friendly relations with a long-standing enemy of India. But her husband, who took the post of Minister of Finance, was implicated in corruption scandals. In 1990, President Gulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the cabinet, led by Bhutto.
Second premiere
But three years later, Benazir returned to politics again, this time not as successfully as before. Her party did not get a majority in parliament, so she was forced to go on to create a coalition. Having secured the prime minister’s chair for the second time, Benazir Bhutto, whose photo did not leave the front pages of newspapers, began to make populist decisions. Thanks to her, electricity was even delivered to remote villages in Pakistan. She increased budget spending on health and education. Thus, illiteracy decreased by a third, and such a terrible ailment, like polio, was defeated. The country's economic growth rate was gaining momentum, the flow of foreign investment was increasing. But corruption scandals continued, and in 1997 the PNP party lost the election. The couple Phuto was charged with organizing contract killings and financial fraud. When Pervez Musharraf came to power in 1999, Benazir emigrated with her children to Dubai. Her husband received five years in prison.
