Day marks 71st birthday of Shaheed Benazir

Karachi: The martyred chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's 71st birthday is being celebrated today (Friday).

Born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi, Benazir Bhutto was a unique and prominent figure in international and national politics like her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Benazir Bhutto received degrees in political science, economics and philosophy from Oxford University after higher education at Radcliffe College and Harvard University.

She faced a very difficult and painful situation at the beginning of her political journey. After the overthrow of Zulfiqar's government and the imposition of martial law, it was not possible to stay in the country, therefore Bhutto's brave daughter left the country and continued the democratic struggle.

The former Prime Minister returned home in April 1986 to an unprecedented welcome. After the success of the PPP in the 1988 elections, Benazir was elected the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world, but her government ended only 18 months later.

In November 1993, she was elected as the Prime Minister for the second time, but in 1996, the nominated President of the PPP itself ended her government.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto took many important steps during her tenure in power including empowering women.

She went into exile after the alleged retaliatory actions and then in 2007 she announced her return to Pakistan and reached Karachi on October 18, 2007 despite the threat to her life.

On December 27, 2007, after a rally in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, she was fatally attacked, in which the beloved leader, who holds a prominent position in global and regional politics, was separated from the people forever.