Benazir Bhutto (1953 – 2007)
On this day in 1988, Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim state. Bhutto was a democratic socialist and the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan. As Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto’s tough stance with trade unions earned her the nickname ‘Iron Lady’. Her government was dismissed in 1996 by President Leghari on charges of corruption. In 2007, Bhutto returned to Pakistan having received amnesty from President Musharraf. On December 27th of that year, while campaigning for the general election, she was assassinated.
Memorial to Bhutto at the site of her assassination in Rawalpindi
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