Benazir Bhutto's 17th death anniversary being observed today

• PPP Chairman Bilawal and President Zardari to address meeting.
• Stage set with party flags, portraits of Benazir, leaders at venue. 
• PM Shehbaz Sharif remembers Benazir as champion of democracy.
  

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its supporters across the country are observing the 17th death anniversary of their slain leader, Benazir Bhutto, today (Friday) with great devotion and respect.

A main congregation will be held in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, the hometown and the resting place of the Bhutto family. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, President Asif Ali Zardari, and central and provincial leaders of the party will address the meeting.

Benazir's youngest child, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, who is now the first lady of Pakistan and central president of PPP's Ladies Wing and Asif's sister and member of provincial assembly (MPA) Faryal Talpur, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had reached the Presidential House Naudero in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh a day ahead of the anniversary. 

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and other leaders are also present there. 

At the gathering's scene, a 60-foot-wide main stage has been decorated with party flags, portraits of Benazir and other party leaders. Famous poets of the country will pay tribute to their late leader through poetry on the occasion. 

Meanwhile, CCTV cameras have been installed around Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and surrounding areas by Larkana Police, and 8,500 police officers and personnel, including SSUs, ladies, traffic personnel and commandos have been deputed to ensure security. 

As the PPP remembers its leader, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also gave a message on Benazir's death anniversary.  

"Today, we commemorate the 17th anniversary of the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. A champion of democracy, and a staunch advocate of the power of dialogue and reconciliation in the political process, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remains an icon of courage and resilience," he wrote in a post on X, this morning. 

He said that the Charter of Democracy, signed between Benazir and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's President Nawaz Sharif, stands as a testament to her enduring legacy.

"I offer my deepest respect to her family, especially President Asif Ali Zardari and [PPP] Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and to her followers, who are proudly carrying forward her vision and advancing her ideals," he concluded. 

Benazir Bhutto — first ever woman PM of Pakistan

Women have played a significant role in Pakistan's turbulent political history, rallying support for detained relatives, such as Benazir.

Born on June 21, 1953, into the prominent Bhutto family, Benazir was known for her charisma and resilience. As a young woman, she spoke out defiantly in support of her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, also a former prime minister, who was imprisoned and executed in 1979 under the military regime of late General Zia-ul-Haq.

Benazir was a pioneering Pakistani politician and stateswoman, who served as the country's prime minister twice, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996.

She was the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority nation as the premier and also the first woman to lead a democratically elected government, making her a trailblazer in the political landscape.

The former prime minister championed democracy, women's rights, and economic reforms amid significant political turbulence.

Despite her progressive vision, her tenure faced challenges, including strained relations with opposition forces. Tragically, her life was cut short in a 2007 assassination during her campaign for a historic third term, leaving an enduring legacy in Pakistan's political history.