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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was born on January 5, 1928. He was
the only son of Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto completed his
early education from Bombay's Cathedral High School. In 1947 , he joined
the University of Southern California, and later the University of
California at Berkeley in June 1949. After completing his degree with
honors in Political Science at Berkeley in June 1950, he was admitted to
Oxford.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto married Nusrat Isphahani on
September 8, 1951. He was called to Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1953, and the
same year his first child, Benazir Bhutto, was born on June 21. On his
return to Pakistan, Bhutto started practicing Law at Dingomal's.
In 1958, he joined President Iskander Mirza's Cabinet
as Commerce Minister. He was the youngest Minister in Ayub Khans Cabinet.
In 1963, he took over the post of Foreign Minister from Muhammad Ali Bogra.
His first major achievement was to conclude the
Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement on March 2, 1963. In mid 1964, Bhutto
helped convince Ayub of the wisdom of establishing closer economic and
diplomatic links with Turkey and Iran. The trio later on formed the R. C.
D. In June 1966, Bhutto left Ayub's Cabinet over differences concerning
the Tashkent Agreement.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto launched Pakistan Peoples Party after leaving Ayub's
Cabinet. In the general elections held in December 1970, P. P. P. won a
large majority in West Pakistan but failed to reach an agreement with
Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, the majority winner from East Pakistan. Following
the 1971 War and the separation of East Pakistan, Yahya Khan resigned and
Bhutto took over as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator on
December 20, 1971.
In early 1972, Bhutto nationalized ten categories of
major industries, and withdrew Pakistan from the Commonwealth of Nations
and S. E. A. T. O. when Britain and other western countries recognized the
new state of Bangladesh. On March 1, he introduced land reforms, and on
July 2, 1972, signed the Simla Agreement with India, which paved the way
for the return of occupied lands and the release of Pakistani prisoners
captured in East Pakistan in the 1971 war.
After the National Assembly passed the 1973
Constitution, Bhutto was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of the country
On
December 30, 1973, Bhutto laid the foundation of Pakistan's first steel
mill at Pipri, near Karachi. On January 1, 1974, Bhutto nationalized all
banks. On February 22, 1974, the second Islamic Summit was inaugurated in
Lahore. Heads of States of most of the 38 Islamic countries attended the
Summit.
Following a political crisis in the country, Bhutto was
imprisoned by General Zia-ul-Haq, who imposed Martial Law on July 5, 1977.
On April 4, 1979, the former Prime Minister was hanged,
after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence passed by the Lahore
High Court. The High Court had given him the death sentence on charges of
murder of the father of a dissident P. P. P. politician.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was buried in his ancestral village
at Garhi Khuda Baksh, next to his father's grave.
Submitted By Salim Khan
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