Nusrat Bhutto

Nusrat Bhutto was an Iranian–Pakistani politician who served as the First Lady of Pakistan from 1971 to 1977. She held a senior position in the federal cabinet between 1988 and 1990 under the government of her daughter, Benazir Bhutto. Following her death on 23 October 2011, the Pakistani parliament honored her with the title Mādar-e-Jamhūriyat.

Early life and education

Nusrat Ispahani was born in Isfahan, Iran, on 23 March 1929. Her father was a businessman from the wealthy Iranian Shia Hariri family, while her mother hailed from the Kurdistan province. The family moved to British India shortly after her birth. They initially lived in Bombay before relocating to Karachi prior to the Partition of British India in 1947. Although she grew up with Iranian traditions at home, she adapted to Indian Muslim culture while living abroad.

She attended the University of Karachi for her higher education. In 1950, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. Before her marriage, she joined a paramilitary women's force for one year.

Career

Nusrat married Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 8 September 1951. She moved to Oxfordshire, England, to support her husband during his legal education. After he became the Foreign Minister, she returned to Pakistan and led the women's wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party. She served as First Lady from 1971 until 1977 when her husband was removed from power. During this period, she functioned as a political worker and accompanied him on various overseas visits.

Following the execution of her husband in 1979, she succeeded him as the chairman for life of the Pakistan Peoples Party. She led campaigns against the regime of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. During this era, she faced multiple arrests and was placed under house arrest or imprisoned in Sihala. While attending a cricket match at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, police attacked her with batons when crowds raised pro-Bhutto slogans. In 1981, she co-founded the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy while living in exile in London. She returned to Pakistan in 1986 after her daughter made a political comeback.

She served two terms as a Member of Parliament representing the Larkana District in the National Assembly. During the administrations led by Benazir Bhutto, she became a cabinet minister and a Senior Federal Minister. Her political career faced internal challenges during the 1990s due to a family dispute involving her son, Murtaza. Because she favored Murtaza during this conflict, Benazir dismissed her from her position as party leader. She eventually withdrew from all political engagements and media contact following the death of Murtaza in 1996.

Personal life

Nusrat was fluent in Urdu, Sindhi, and her native Persian. She was the second wife of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and they had four children: Benazir, Murtaza, Sanam, and Shahnawaz. She outlived three of her children. In 1982, she traveled to London for medical treatment after being suspected of having cancer. Her youngest son, Shahnawaz, died in Cannes in 1985.

She moved to Dubai in 1996 and suffered from the effects of a stroke and Alzheimer's disease. She passed away at the age of 82 at the Iranian Hospital Dubai on 23 October 2011. Her son-in-law, Asif Ali Zardari, escorted her body back to Pakistan. Thousands of mourners attended her funeral at the Bhutto family mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party suspended all political activities for 40 days to mourn her passing.

Awards and recognition

The parliament honored her with the title Mādar-e-Jamhūriyat, which means "Mother of Democracy." This recognition followed her death to acknowledge her advocacy for democracy in Pakistan. She is also remembered for her contributions toward the empowerment of women within the country.