KARACHI (Dunya News) - The 14th death anniversary of Mohtarma Begum Nusrat Bhutto, the Mother of Democracy, is being observed today (Thursday) with great reverence and respect.
She died of effects of Alzheimer’s disease in Dubai in 2011. Late Nusrat Bhuttowas mother to Pakistan’s first ever and only woman Prime Minister (PM), late Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated as she exited a rally venue in 2007.
She was born on March 23, 1929 in Iran’s Isfahan to Hariri family of Kurdish descent. She got married to late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on September 8, 1951 and was his second wife.
Nusrat Bhutto stepped up as the party leader after her husband, Zulfikar was executed during former dictator, Ziaul Haq’s tenure.
The former leader of PPP outlived all her four children except for one. Her son, Murtaza Bhutto was shot dead near his residence in Karachi in 1996 during regime of his sister, late Benazir. At 26 years of age, Nusrat’s youngest son, Shahnawaz was found dead in France’s Nice.
Known to have seen her family going through tumultuous times numerous times and yet not breaking down, Nusrat was laid to rest next to her husband’s burial site in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh in Sindh, the same place which is known as the resting place of Benazir Bhutto.
She was honoured with the title ‘Mother of Democracy’ by the Parliament of Pakistan after her demise for her advocacy against dictatorship and women’s empowerment.