Bhutto's death

Express Tribune

04-04-2025

The writer is an educationist based in Larkana, dedicated to advocating for women's rights and empowering them through education. She can be contacted at [e-mail]
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Nearly five decades ago, on 4th April 1979, Pakistan witnessed a grave injustice - the execution of a politically victimised leader. He was none other than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the democratically elected leader of Pakistan, who gave the country its Constitution, which remains in use to this day.
Recognising his merit on this March 23, 2025, former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was posthumously awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan, the nation's highest civilian honour. The award, received by his daughter Sanam Bhutto, recognised his contributions to the country, democracy and the people.
ZAB was executed on April 4, 1979, following a conviction in a highly controversial murder case, widely condemned for lacking due process. His execution was later regarded as a judicial murder in the country's history.
Nearly a year ago, Supreme Court judges reviewed the case and concluded that Bhutto's trial had been unfair, denying him due process at both the trial and appellate levels - an acknowledgment seen as a correction of a historic miscarriage of justice.
The Bhutto family's political legacy in Pakistan is marred by a series of tragic events, each paying a price for their unflinching sincerity and standing tall against oppression and injustice. From ZAB's judicially contested execution to Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Shahnawaz Bhutto's mysterious death in South Africa and Murtaza Bhutto's controversial police encounter, the family has faced unpredictable deaths, all seemingly in service of protecting the rights of the people at the stake of their lives.
ZAB, a visionary leader, faced grave injustice when he was judicially convicted and sentenced to death in 1979. His execution, later remembered as a judicial murder, sent shockwaves through Pakistan. Bhutto's commitment to a democratic and progressive Pakistan was abruptly cut short, and the repercussions of his unjust death were felt across the nation.
Benazir Bhutto, his daughter and political successor, emerged only as a hope for democratic ideals. Her tenure as the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country faced tumult, culminating in her tragic assassination on December 7, 2007 at Rawalpindi. The consequences were irreparable, impacting not only the Bhutto family but also the stability of Pakistan's political institutions. The death of Benazir Bhutto, the first female prime minister in the Muslim world, left a void in the PPP leadership, prompting questions about the future of democratic governance.
Shahnawaz Bhutto's mysterious sudden death in Nice, France in 1985 is yet another layer to the family's narrative of untimely deaths. The circumstances surrounding his demise remain shrouded in mystery, contributing to the perception that the Bhutto family, committed to the well-being of the people, was beset by unpredictable tragedies.
Murtaza Bhutto, Benazir's brother, met a tragic end during her tenure as PM. His killing in a controversial police encounter in Karachi in 1996 added another layer of complexity to the Bhutto family's political narrative. His outspoken nature and willingness to challenge the status quo led to his untimely death, which remains an unresolved case.
All the casualties within the Bhutto family occurred under circumstances far from natural. They remain the only family in Pakistan's political history to have fallen victim to consequences they did not deserve.
From ZAB's judicial execution to his elder son Shahnawaz's mysterious death by poisoning, from Murtaza's controversial police encounter to Benazir's assassination during a public gathering, each loss inflicted deep wounds that have never fully healed till today.
Rarely does an entire family dedicate itself to service of people, at the stake of personal well-being for the greater good. As Martin Luther King Jr said, "Once you become dedicated to a cause, personal security is not the goal. What will happen to you personally does not matter. My cause, my race, is worth dying for."
Such is the nature of sacrifice for a noble cause.