On the 16th martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, here are some photos from across her life….from childhood to a prime minister’s protege and from prime minister to exile.
Early life: the eldest of Bhutto kids:
Benazir Bhutto was born in 1953, the first child of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in the same year. Here she is pictured with her father and brother Murtaza. The exact year of the photo is not known but is believed to be in the late 1950s.
Left to right: Benazir with her siblings Sanam (born 1957), Shahnawaz (born 1958) and Murtaza (born 1954).
Youth: A statesman’s companion and heir:
In June 1972, Benazir accompanied her father to Simla, where her father tried to negotiate an agreement to bring home 1971’s prisoners of war.
Benazir slowly grew into a political role. Here she is in a 1974 photo in her hometown Larkana.
Return from exile, premiership, and a legend in her own right:
After years of house arrest and exile following her father’s death, Benazir entered Pakistan, triumphant, in 1986.
Benazir addresses a mammoth rally in 1986.
Her marriage to Asif Ali Zardari took place in 1987.
In 1988, Benazir became prime minister, the same seat as her father.
After being dismissed from government, she became Prime Minister for a second time in 1993.
Second exile and return:
After leaving Pakistan due to Musharraf’s martial law, she would spend her time in London and Dubai. Here she is photographed with her three kids, Bakhtawar, Aseefa, and Bilawal in 2000.
On October 17, 2007, Benazir ended her second exile and returned home. The elections were a few months away.
The return was an emotional one. In this photo, she prays right after landing in Karachi.
As her campaign against emergency gathered steam she was confronted with police and barbed wires.
Benazir Bhutto leaves after addressing a rally in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007. It was her last rally.