Benazir Bhutto, the prime minister of Pakistan twice, from 2 Dec 1988 to 6 Aug 1990, and again from 19 Oct 1993 to 5 Nov 1996, is known to be the first woman prime minister of a Muslim country. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (president in 1971-1973 and prime minister in 1972-1977, of Pakistan). Her father’s and her main goal was to bring democracy into the country and give people freedom of speech so the country could stand on everyone’s decisions rather than dictatorship. While in office, she brought exceptional changes to the country. She brought electricity to the countryside and built schools all over the country. Her top priorities were hunger, housing and health care.
As her efforts to modernize the country served constructive, she still was a threat to many people, especially men. In a country that is run only by men and in a society, where women have limited rights illustrates that negativity of that society and so productiveness doesn’t come that easy. The efforts to improve the country also hinders because there is no equality when it comes to the government. Apart from that, being a “prime minister” of a “Muslim country” is a huge thing. There have been many women who have ruled over different periods of time and in different countries and surely, they have been targeted one way or the other.
Bhutto did her undergraduate from Harvard’s Radcliffe College and went on to do her graduate from England’s Oxford University. This clearly illustrates that she was a candidate for “rule” meaning that she had knowledge and was well-educated to run a country. Moreover, her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had remained the prime minister and president of the country therefore it runs in the family.
In 1996 she was dismissed from the office because of mismanagement and alleged corruption. Power is such a consequential thing to some or most people that anyone who strives for it loses control over themselves. I truly believe that she was intending to make the country better and the people but other strong forces around her intruded her success.
She and her children lived in exile in London for nine years. In 2007 she returned back to her native country and ran for 2008 elections. Reaching an understanding with the recent President Pervez Musharraf, all charges against her were withdrawn. This would have been her third office as a prime minister and still the only women running for office in an Islamic country.
She is a role model for all the young girls in Pakistan, as well as other Islamic countries. If there were other women like her who would strive and make the effort to run for presidency or prime minister Position, Pakistan would be in the top ten developed countries.
Her life was on jeopardy already, first, returning to her native country after nine years in exile, second, past corruption history and reluctance of a woman ruling. Although she was greeted enthusiastically for her return to the country, she still had oppositions. Within hours of her arrival, her motorcade was attacked by a suicide bomber. This first attempt was unsuccessful but the second one was brutal. After a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, “a gunman fired at her car before detonating a bomb.” She was rushed to the hospital but didn’t make it.
It was obvious that she was the target and she had to be careful but it’s also true that the President knew about her situation too therefore, he should have provided her with full-protection which he didn’t. This could have been stopped if enough bodyguards and policemen were by her side.
“When I first got elected, they said: A woman has usurped a man’s place! She should be killed! She should be assassinated! She has committed heresy!” She knew the day her father got executed and the day she was elected as the prime minister that things would be different. She was an achiever; strong and ambitious. She knew what was to come.
When I heard the news of her death, I was in shock because she was like a hero to me. And not just to me but other young girls too. She will always be an inspiration because as she willingly stepped into this position, others will too.
