A brief chronology of the major developments in Benazir Bhutto's political life
Nusrat Bhutto, the widow of former Pakistani president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the mother of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, on Sunday died in Dubai following a prolonged illness.
Reports said five bullets were fired at Bhutto, one of which pierced her neck. The 54-year-old leader of the Pakistan People's Party was rushed to the Rawalpindi general hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
People across Pakistan on Sunday paid tributes to slain former premier Benazir Bhutto and offered special prayers on the second anniversary of her assassination even as her close aides called on the PPP-led government to identify and bring her killers to justice.
Now comes another test in the coming days. As Benazir travels to the province of Punjab in the coming days, what will be her reception? Will it match another homecoming - no less fortuitous, no less breathtaking - two decades ago?
'Bhutto feared elements of the so-called establishment, including people linked to the intelligence services. She highly distrusted individuals like Hamid Gul who -- she was convinced -- maintained active ties with jihadists.' Heraldo Munoz, author of the sensational new book, Getting Away With Murder, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa in an exclusive interview.
Some 20,000 airport security personnel, policemen and paramilitary personnel as well as bomb disposal squads have been deployed in Karachi to protect Bhutto, who is returning to Pakistan following secret parleys with President Prevez Musharraf for a power-sharing arrangement.
She left Karachi airport for home after being made to sit in the plane for several hours after flying in from Dubai. On her arrival in Karachi, she was not allowed to de-board. Some supporters of her Pakistan People Party gathered at the airport to greet her.
"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice," Bush said.
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture to pay tribute to former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto at a beach in Puri.
Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bhutto, 54, was killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi shortly after she had addressed an election rally on December 27, 2007.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Saturday said she had not yet reached a power sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf, but vowed to return to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile "very soon."
Just two months before she was killed in a terror attack, former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto had approached the United States ambassador in Islamabad, asking for help to evaluate her personal security. But her request was ignored, the latest cables published by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks have revealed. Bhutto handed over a written request to US Ambassador Anne W Patterson two months before she was killed, asking her to carry out an evaluation of the security
Television footage showed torn limbs and parts of flesh were spread around the Liaqat Bagh park, the venue of the rally by the former prime minister and the leader of the Pakistan People's Party.
Sources said it was a private luncheon.
Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007 outside the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.
What Benazir Bhutto told the Council for Foreign Relations in New York before her return to Pakistan.
In his book, Christopher Sandford writes that Bhutto became infatuated with Khan, and the pair enjoyed a "close" and possibly "sexual" relationship. The author has also alleged that Khan''s mother even tried to organise an arranged marriage between the pair, but to no avail.
The formulation calls for Musharraf to install Bhutto as prime minister while he remains president.
Bhutto has said that if she comes to power, she will take firm steps against terrorist organisations.
"Democracy cannot be sustained in the absence of a stable and growing middle class. The growth of India into a regional and international economic power occurred, not coincidentally, as its middle class exploded into a huge economic and political force," Bhutto wrote.
'The United States loves working with dictators' 'Because then you don't have to worry about public opinion and you don't have to worry about the media anymore'
According to Mr Babar, within four days of this interview the Mumbai terror attack was underway, bringing the two countries closest to war in years -- 'The warmongers shattered Zardari's dream of peace with India'.
Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and a dominant figure in the country's politics, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. Her career spanned decades and included periods of both power and controversy.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his "blood would flow in rivers" remark and called former cricketer Shahid Afridi a "joker" for his comment on the Pahalgam terror attack. Owaisi also supported India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and called for Pakistan to be placed on the FATF grey list. He also advocated for cyber attacks against Pakistan.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's former first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.
The alleged killer of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto has been identified. And he is dead.
Oxford-educated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto's clumsy speeches in Urdu, sprinkled with English words, have become a good way to pep up party conversations in Pakistan.
The then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was responsible for the murder of his mother and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her son and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said. "He (Musharraf) murdered my mother (Benazir Bhutto). I hold him responsible for the murder of my mother," Bilawal Bhutto said.
The head of the Pakistani police team probing former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination on Sunday accused Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud of planning and financing her killing.
"Pakistan today is the most dangerous place in the world. Pakistan faces the threat of both Talibanisation and Balkanisation, which are gaining in strength," she wrote in her 328-page book.
Osama bin Laden was involved in former premier Benazir Bhutto's assassination and the perpetrators of her murder have been identified, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed on Tuesday.
Slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's 24-year-old son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday made his formal entry into Pakistani politics, pledging to protect his country and its fledgling democratic system from dictators and terrorists.
Glimpses into the life of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, who at 31, is Pakistan's youngest first lady.
The United Nations on Tuesday delayed till April 15 the release of its probe panel's report on the assassination of former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto following a request from Islamabad.
Pressure mounted on Pakistan government to hold probe into the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as authorities remained tight lipped after an independent UN report blamed security officials for "failing" to protect her.
What was the role of Rehman Malik, the present interior minister and a close confidante of Zardari, who had been nominated by Zardari as her security officer on behalf of the Pakistan People's Party? He was responsible for liaison on behalf of the party with the officials of the Musharraf government who were co-ordinating the security arrangements.
Pakistan's decision to withdraw troops from Kargil on the advice of the United States left Sharif 'weakened and embarrassed', Bhutto wrote in Benazir Bhutto: Reconciliation, Islam, Democracy & the West, released both in London and Islamabad on Tuesday.
The former prime minister said Vajpayee has indicated that his upcoming visit to Islamabad will include meetings with "everyone", including Musharraf.
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