Benazir Bhutto

11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan (1953–2007)

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Lived 1953–2007, aged 54

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Wikipedia
127 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1953–2007
Aged 54
Known for
Insha'Allah Democracy
2017

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

She was the first woman to lead a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country, then assassinated returning for a third run. Her father was executed after a coup; she inherited his party, spent years in prison and exile, won twice, lost twice, and came back in 2007 to face the bullet that ended it.

Biography

About

Born in Karachi in 1953 to the aristocratic Bhutto family, she studied at Harvard and Oxford — where she led the Oxford Union — then returned in 1977 just as her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's socialist government fell to a military coup and he was executed. She and her mother took control of the Pakistan People's Party, endured repeated imprisonment under Zia-ul-Haq, and fled to Britain in 1984. Back in 1986, she shifted the party from socialist to liberal and won the 1988 election, but conservative forces and the military stifled her reforms; accused of corruption, she was dismissed in 1990. S…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto

said27 Dec 2007

I put my life in danger and came here because I feel this country is in danger. People are worried. We will bring the country out of this crisis.

— At the rally in Rawalpindi after which she was assassinated. (27 December 2007)

Benazir Bhutto

said13 Nov 2007

If they only showed this much spunk when it came to containing the terrorists I don't think we would have such a problem.

— On being prevented from participating in a march for democracy and being placed under house arrest. TIME video interview (13 November 2007).

Benazir Bhutto

said18 Oct 2007

I fully understand the men behind Al Qaeda. They have tried to assassinate me twice before.

— "Journeying to democracy" in The Boston Globe (18 October 2007)

Benazir Bhutto

said15 Aug 2002

It is one thing being able to contest an election and to give the people hope that I can be the next prime minister.

— As quoted in "I never asked for power" in The Guardian (15 August 2002)

Benazir Bhutto

said15 Aug 2002

I find that whenever I am in power, or my father was in power, somehow good things happen. The economy picks up, we have good rains, water comes, people have crops.

— As quoted in "I never asked for power" in The Guardian (15 August 2002)

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