End of an Illustrious Dynasty

The assassination of Pakistan opposition leader, former prime minister and life chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir Bhutto had brought a tragic end to an illustrious dynasty in Pakistan.The mishap happened on Thursday, December 27, 2007 in a gun and bomb attack as she left an election campaign rally in the city of Rawalpindi. Benazir Bhutto, 54, died in hospital in Rawalpindi after being shot in the head.

Her tragic end resembles in many ways of the Kennedy's family in America. President John F.Kennedy was assassinated in the 60's and most of his family members met a violent death. Like the Nehru Gandhi family that has long been a force in the politics of India, saw the tragic death of Indira Gandhi who was killed by her guards when she was the prime minister of India. Her two sons Sanjay, who died in a plane crash in 1980 and later Rajiv, who died in a suicide attack in early 90s.

The late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged after a controversial supreme court judgment, and all his three children met violent deaths. Bhutto's two sons, Murtaza and Shahnawaz died prematurely too. Shahnawaz was the first to die after the death of his father when he was poisoned in France, allegedly by his Afghan wife. Murtaza was murdered in cold blood in a strange police shoot out near his house in Clifton on September 20, 1996. Benazir was then the prime minister but saw it happening helplessly. Murtaza's widow, Lebanon-born Ghinva lives with her daughter Fatima and son Zulfikar in the house which Murtaza had inherited from his father.

As a young girl, Benazir was brilliant public speaker and even conducted television programmes when he father was in power in the 70s. The programme on Pakistan's foreign policy was instant hit with the viewers for its critical expose.