Benazir Bhutto is known for many things. Being the first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim-majority country to the first PM giving birth while in office. In the nearly 12 years since she died, her party the PPP, has used her ghost to increase their political clout, in the process hiding or glossing over some truly surprising facts about her that we’ll uncover here.

1. Her father wanted her brother Murtaza to lead the party not her

Benazir’s father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, served as Prime Minister between 1972 and 1977. He was hanged in 1979 and since his party did not have democracy within its ranks, it was not clear who would inherit it after his death. He had appointed his wife, Nusrat Bhutto, co-chair in 1977 while he was under arrest [1], but after his death Benazir took the reigns. [2]

However, Murtaza disagreed. [3] He believed he was their father’s designated political heir as he was asked by him to manage his Larkana constituency in 1977 general elections. Benazir’s biographer Shyam Bhatia agrees with Murtaza, believing that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto would have recognized the impediments a woman leader would face in a conservative society. [4]

In 1994, Benazir’s mother Nusrat Bhutto also stated that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto never wanted Benazir to lead the party. [5]

2. Horse-Trading

Horse-Trading in subcontinental discourse means buying members of the parliament with the allegiance going to the highest bidder. A truly undemocratic process and Benazir indulged fully in it during her first term as Prime Minister between 1988 and 1990. [6] The irony is that she established the ‘Movement for Restoration of Democracy’ in 1981 against the dictator Zia-ul-Haq.

3. Lies in Autobiography

In 1988, Benazir published her autobiography, “Daughter of the East”. Her biographer Brooke Allen noted that it was “a political performance” for a western audience written in order to “seduce Western opinion and opinion-makers”. [7] The book also contained some outright lies. Benazir sought to whitewash her father’s crimes, especially his hand in separation of East Pakistan and his persecution of political opponents through his paramilitary FSF. She also lied about her mother, saying she was forced by her to wear burqa when she reached adolescence. This was to portray herself as a ground-breaker on gender issues so as to gain political clout in west. [7]

4. Cronyism

In her first stint as PM, she made her mother a senior minister without portfolio and her father-in-law chairman of the parliamentary public accounts committee. [8] She also let her husband, Asif Ali Zardari attend cabinet meetings despite not being a member of the government. [9]

When Benazir returned to power in 1993, she gave cabinet positions to both her mother and husband. [10] Zardari was appointed investment minister [11], Chief of the Intelligence Bureau [12], Director General of Federal Investigation Agency [12] and Chair of the Environment Protection Council. [11] What he did with such power we will find out in point number 7.

5. Benazir wasn’t a Socialist

While her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was definitely a socialist, Benazir changed her mind gradually while in exile in the 80s, ending up being a complete neo-liberal Thatcherite when she came to power. [13] So much so that according to her biographer Mushtaq Ahmed, her party had become right-wing under her leadership given that its policies were benefiting the privileged classes rather than impoverished ones. [13]

6. Her mother called her a “little dictator”

In 1993, Benazir kicked her mother off from co-chaipersonship of PPP and declared herself sole chair for life [14]. Nusrat Bhutto didn’t take it lying down. She replied by backing her son Murtaza to take over PPP in Sindh and rewarded Benazir with epithets of “Mrs. Zardari” (for allowing her husband to play her) [15] and “liar”, adding, “She’s talked a lot about democracy, but she’s become a little dictator.” [14]

7. Corruption with Zardari

During her first tenure, Zardari was given the nick-name “Mr. Ten-percent” for receiving kickbacks from business deals that required approval of the government. [34] Corruption cases were filed against Zardari and Benazir and while Benazir claimed these allegations were false and politically motivated, her biographer Brooke Allen states there was ‘significant evidence to his guilt in this regard”. [34] In October 1990, Zardari was convicted for extortion and remained in prison until 1993 when Benazir returned to power and used her influence to free him. [16]

She then gave him monopoly over gold imports, which earned him $10 million dollars that he deposited in an Indian bank. [17] Her biographer Brooke Allen stated that Benazir had, “given up on all her previous ideals and simply caved in to the culture of corruption—indeed excelled in it, as she had excelled in so many other areas.” [17] Ayesha Jalal was no less scathing. She states that, “Zardari, now known as ‘Mr. 20 percent,’ was believed to be working with Benazir on most of his money-making ventures ranging from submarines to fighter aircraft and power-generating plants. By now all the major public sector financial institutions were headed by Zardari’s chums.” [18]

8. Swiss Court Conviction of 2003

In 1998, a Swiss magistrate Daniel Devaud conducted investigations into Benazir’s illegal financial activities. He concluded that Benazir, “knew she was acting in a criminally reprehensible manner by abusing her role in order to obtain for herself and for her husband considerable sums in the interest of her family at the cost of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” [19] In 2003 she was convicted by a Swiss Court and given 180 days in prison. She appealed and got the ruling overturned. But Brooke Allen noted that, “no one seriously suggested that the evidence had been fixed or that Bhutto and Zardari were not thieves on a grand scale.” [19] Similarly in 1999, Polish government handed a 500 page document filled with corruption allegations against Benazir and her husband. [29]

9. Murtaza Bhutto’s Murder

Murtaza Bhutto returned to Pakistan from a self-imposed exile in 1993 and immediately challenged Benazir’s leadership of the party. [20] He wanted a return to socialism and intra-party elections. [21] Criticizing Zardari’s corruption and seeing his hold on Benazir, he formed his own party and started calling Benazir, “Begum Zardari”. [22] In his opposition to Benazir, he was joined by Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. [23] Murtaza complained that his sister’s government was trying to stifle his party, arresting 70 of its members. [24] Murtaza employed different antics to antagonize Zardari. He hung his picture in his toilet [22], and in one incident reportedly had Zardari pinned down and shaved half his moustache. [25] On 20th September 1996, Murtaza was killed in a police ambush outside his residence. Rumors spread that Zardari had ordered his killing [24] [26], a charge later voiced by Murtaza’s widow Ghanwa and daughter Fatima [26]. The policeman who shot Murtaza, Haq Nawaz Sial was himself killed and his widow mysteriously acquired a large sum of money. [26] Also, Benazir absolved the two police chiefs who had led the operation of responsibility. [26] Even Nusrat Bhutto earlier blamed Benazir and Zardari but later changed her statement to a “conspiracy against the Bhutto family”. The murder case was never solved. Zardari was indicted [33] but in 2008, all cases on him and Benazir were thrown out after PPP came back into power.

10. Benazir’s Authoritarianism

In her second term as PM, Ayesha Jalal suggests that power got to Benazir’s head. She asked her chosen president Leghari to dismiss Nazwaz Sharif’s opposition government in NWFP and after two months she was in power there. [27] Again, this is ironic given that she had formed Movement for Restoration of Democracy in 1981 and always presented herself as a democrat. When Nawaz protested, she stuffed the judiciary with around 20 preferred appointees, including former PPP activists. She blurred the separation of judicial and executive powers by taking away the magisterial powers of deputy commissioners. Then she violated the tradition of seniority in judiciary by appointing a then-supporter Sajjad Ali Shah, as Chief Justice. [27] Opposition members were booked on petty charges and members of Nawaz Sharif’s family were implicated in over a hundred cases of fraud and embezzlement forcing his younger brother Shehbaz to seek refuge in London. [28]

11. Benazir got Dumped by Women’s Organizations

When Benazir first came to power she was supported by many Pakistani Women’s organizations. However they were dismayed when she repealed none of the laws they opposed. [30] This continued in her second term as well, so much so that when she was ousted in 1997 and went to these organizations for support she was rebuffed. [31][32]

That’s all from me. Thank you for watching. If you found the video informative, please subscribe.

References

[1] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p.48.

[2] Amir Ahmed Khuhro; Ali Nawaz Soomro, “The Role of Benazir Bhutto in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy: An Analysis”. (2013). International Journal of Social Science and Humanity. 3 (3): 274–277

[3] Shyam Bhatia, “Goodbye Shahzadi: A Political Biography of Benazir Bhutto”, (2008), p. xiii.

[4] Ibid. p. 19.

[5] Ayesha Jalal, “The Struggle for Pakistan”, (2017), p. 282.

[6] Ayesha Jalal, “Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia”, (1993), p. 111.

[7] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), pp. 9-10.

[8] Ibid. p. 103.

[9] Christina Lamb, “Waiting for Allah: Pakistan’s Struggle for Democracy”, (1991), p. 72.

[10] Heraldo Muñoz, “Getting Away with Murder: Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination and the Politics of Pakistan”, (2013), p. 62.

[11] Ayesha Jalal, “The Struggle for Pakistan”, (2017), p. 287.

[12] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), pp. 113-114.

[13] Mushtaq Ahmed, “Benazir: Politics of Power”, (2005), p. 284.

[14] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 118.

[15] Ayesha Jalal, “The Struggle for Pakistan”, (2017), p. 282.

[16] Shyam Bhatia, “Goodbye Shahzadi: A Political Biography of Benazir Bhutto”, (2008), p. 31.

[17] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 114.

[18] Ayesha Jalal, “The Struggle for Pakistan”, (2017), p. 286.

[19] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 130.

[20] Heraldo Muñoz, “Getting Away with Murder: Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination and the Politics of Pakistan”, (2013), p. 64.

[21] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 118.

[22] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 121.

[23] Lawrence Ziring, “Pakistan at the Crosscurrent of History”, (2003), p. 240.

[24] Ibid. p. 241.

[25] Shyam Bhatia, “Goodbye Shahzadi: A Political Biography of Benazir Bhutto”, (2008), p. 26.

[26] Ayesha Jalal, “The Struggle for Pakistan”, (2017), p. 287.

[27] Ibid. p. 282.

[28] Ibid. p. 283.

[29] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article393637.ece

[30] Ayesha Jalal, “Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia”, (1993), p. 109.

[31] Shyam Bhatia, “Goodbye Shahzadi: A Political Biography of Benazir Bhutto”, (2008), p. 101.

[32] Heraldo Muñoz, “Getting Away with Murder: Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination and the Politics of Pakistan”, (2013), p. 64.

[33] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 125.

[34] Brooke Allen, “Benazir Bhutto: Favored Daughter”, (2016), p. 110.