Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto's Death in 2024

When is the Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto's Death?

The Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto's Death is a regional public holiday in the Pakistani province of Sindh on December 27th each year. It is a holiday in all offices, autonomous, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the Sindh government. 

This holiday commemorates the former prime minister of Pakitan, Benazir Bhutto, on the anniversary of her death in 2007.

History of the Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto's Death

Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21st 1953, in Karachi, Pakistan. Bhutto was the eldest child of former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. 

In 1977 Benazir Bhutto was placed under house arrest following a military coup led by General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq which overthrew her father's government. 

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed on April 4th 1979. His death is also commemorated by a public holiday in Sindh.

After his death, Benazir Bhutto became the leader of her father's party, the Pakistan People’s Party.  

When General Zia ul-Haq's dictatorship ended after he was killed in a plane crash in 1988, Bhutto became the first woman leader of a Muslim nation on December 1st 1988. 

Bhutto served two terms as prime minister but was plagued by charges of corruption, Bhutto went into self-imposed exile in Britain and Dubai for eight years.

Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18th 2007, after President Musharraf granted her amnesty on all corruption charges.

Bhutto narrowly avoided an assassination attempt on her return. Bhutto was killed a few months later when an assassin fired shots and then blew himself up after an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27th 2007. The attack also killed 28 others and wounded over 100.