ISLAMABAD: The prime minister on Tuesday paid tribute to slain Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto on the 15th anniversary of her assassination, saying the former prime minister was a “crusader for human rights and democracy”.
Shehbaz Sharif said Bhutto left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s politics and the void left by her tragic death has widened over the years.
Bhutto, a charismatic and controversial politician who served twice as prime minister between 1988 and 1997, was killed in a shooting and bomb attack as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007, two months after she returned from exile to contest the national elections.
The PPP government of Sindh has declared December 27 as a public holiday to mark the event, according to a notification issued by the province earlier this month.
In his statement, the prime minister said the “black day [of her death] is unforgettable”.
“Benazir Bhutto is a shining example of democratic and political struggle who sacrificed her life while fighting for the rights of people,” he said.
Pakistan today observes the martyrdom anniversary of Mohtarama Benzair Bhutto Shaheed. A crusader for human rights & democracy, she left an indelible mark on politics of the country. The void left by her passing has continued to widen over the years.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 27, 2022
As the first woman prime minister of the Islamic world, hers was a fascinating story of the lifelong struggle, Sharif said. “We pay tribute to the historical services of Benazir Bhutto for the country, people, and democracy.”
The prime minister also recalled that the supreme leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, and Bhutto gave the nation the “historical gift” of the so-called charter of democracy that he claimed started a new era in the country’s politics.
The two agreed to the document in 2006 which set out constitutional amendments and other reforms aimed at enshrining democracy to rid politics of the old military-bureaucratic establishment.
Bhutto and Sharif were bitter rivals in the 1990s when they alternated as prime ministers. Both were accused of corruption and served two terms over a tumultuous period that ended when then-army chief Pervez Musharraf ousted Sharif in a bloodless 1999 coup.
It was the first time in Pakistan’s history that the two main parties had come together.
Sharif termed the document a landmark achievement of the political vision of Pakistan’s leaders which ushered in a new political culture and tradition in Pakistan.
He said Bhutto took a bold and clear stand against militancy and her assassination showed the nation’s determination against the menace.
She also rendered immense services for the strengthening of national defence, constitutional institutions and for social welfare, he added.
The prime minister extended condolences to her family, including her husband Asif Ali Zardari and son Bilawal Bhutto.
