How long has Bhutto been a force in Pakistan?
For 30 years'”almost as long as the South Asian nation has experimented with democracy. Bhutto, still striking and imperious at 54, is the most prominent surviving member of Pakistan's premier political family. The Islamic world's first female head of state, she served as prime minister from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996; both terms were cut short by accusations of corruption. She now lives in exile in Dubai, London, and New York with her husband and three children. But despite vowing in 1997 never to seek office again, she has recently been angling to return to Pakistan before November's elections, perhaps to share power with her old rival, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president. Many in the West see her as the only person who can prevent Islamic extremists from taking power in Pakistan, a nuclear state. Bhutto seems to share that view. 'œThis is more than a struggle for me,' she said. 'œThis is a struggle for the heart and soul of Pakistan.'
What's Bhutto's background?
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She comes from one of Pakistan's wealthiest and most influential clans. The Bhuttos' power base is the country's southern Sindh province, where the family has extensive landholdings. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was Pakistan's first democratically elected prime minister, taking office in 1971 when the military formally relinquished its political role'”though that would not last. In 1977, Bhutto was deposed in a military coup, convicted of trumped-up murder charges, and hanged in 1979. Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest and beaten so severely, her eardrum was ruptured. After her release, she became head of the political party her father had founded, the Pakistan People's Party. Although the party says it is rooted in Islamic principles'”a necessity in fervently Muslim Pakistan'”its agenda is largely secular, with economic development a top priority.
Was Bhutto prepared for a life in politics?
Thoroughly. She graduated from Harvard in 1973 with a degree in government, and then studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford. In 1976, she became the first Asian woman elected president of the Oxford Union, the university's venerable debating society. When civilian rule was restored in Pakistan in 1988, her party captured the largest bloc in the National Assembly. Bhutto became prime minister, promising economic reform and expanded opportunities for women, stirring outrage among Pakistan's powerful Muslim clerics. 'œIt is my conviction that we can only conquer poverty, squalor, illiteracy, and superstition,' she said, 'œwhen we invest in our women and when our women begin working.'
Did she keep those promises?
No. During her terms in office, Bhutto did not propose a single piece of women's rights legislation, and her rhetoric about economic reform was undercut by the activities of her husband, Asif Ali Zardari. A polo-playing bon vivant, Zardari became known in Pakistan as 'œMr. 10 Percent,' for his alleged skimming of government contracts. 'œThe perception in the business community was that no transaction could take place in Islamabad without involving [Zardari],' said Pakistani investment banker F.S. Aijazuddin. Zardari served as minister of foreign investment during Bhutto's second go-around as prime minister, and his well-documented corruption gave her political enemies, including Musharraf, the opening they needed to drive Bhutto from office in 1996.
What sort of corruption?
Just about every kind imaginable. In 1995, French aerospace company Dassault agreed to pay a 5 percent commission into a Swiss bank account controlled by Zardari, in return for his help arranging the sale of 32 Mirage fighter jets to Pakistan's air force. Bhutto and Zardari claimed the papers were forged, but Dassault has confirmed their authenticity. Other documents show that Zardari collected $10 million for giving a wealthy trader a monopoly on gold imports to Pakistan, where jewelry is a major industry. Zardari was even accused of arranging the 1996 murder of Bhutto's younger brother, who had publicly accused his sister of turning her party into a personality cult. The charges were eventually dropped.
How is Bhutto viewed today?
During the chaos and repression of Musharraf's military regime, her popularity in Pakistan has rebounded. She remains leader of the Pakistan People's Party, the country's largest, and many in Pakistan's professional class, especially, are willing to forgive past sins to create a more stable government. Her supporters see a Bhutto-Musharraf coalition as the best defense against either an Islamist dictatorship or complete military rule. 'œA transitional alliance of the military establishment with more progressive and secular elements is the need of the hour,' said Najam Sethi, a prominent Pakistani journalist. Bhutto said last week that she is negotiating an agreement with Musharraf that will enable her to return to Pakistan. 'œWe are talking, but we are not there yet,'' she said.
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