Nusrat Bhutto's 4th death anniversary being observed today

Besides being the First Lady of Pakistan, Nusrat Bhutto was also the chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after her husband Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government was overthrown and he was hanged in 1979. The second wife of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, she was also mother to his children Murtaza Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto (another former Prime Minister of Pakistan), Shahnawaz Bhutto and Sanam Bhutto.

Nusrat Ispahani was born on 23rd March 1929 and was an Iranian from the Kurdistan province. Her father was a wealthy businessman who had settled in Karachi, where she had met Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and got married to him. During her tenure as the First Lady of Pakistan from 1973-1977, Nusrat Bhutto was a key influential figure in Pakistani politics as she accompanied her husband on many of his official foreign visits.

Nusrat Bhutto was instrumental in leading the party and holding it together after the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979. She and her daughters were put under house arrest by the Zia regime. She was allowed to go to London for medical purposes and from there in exile, she led the PPP. Before being replaced by Benazir Bhutto as the chairperson of PPP, it was Nusrat Bhutto who led the party from the front and held its reins.

Nusrat Bhutto had returned to Pakistan during the 1980s and served as a member of the Cabinet during Benazir Bhutto’s era as Prime Minister. However, eventually the Alzheimer’s disease and a stroke claimed her life. Nusrat Bhutto died at a house in Dubai on October 23, 2011. Her body was flown to Pakistan, where she was buried in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

She is remembered for her unfettered courage in the face of opposition from the dictatorial regime of Zia-ul-Haq. Nusrat Bhutto braved harsh opposition,arrests and held the party together at a time when it was going through its worst crisis. She enjoys immense respect and reverence among PPP party workers and leaders even till this day.

salute #NusratBhutto unsurpassed heroism pic.twitter.com/CbfFBEs5bF

— salma jafar (@Chiltan) October 22, 2015

Begum Nusrat Bhutto has given ultimate scarification and her mame would always b shined in history #nusratbhutto

— Majid Maqsood (@majidmaqsood) October 23, 2015

Begum #NusratBhutto Mader-E-Jamhuriat suffered the most for Pakistan 4rth death anniversary #RIP pic.twitter.com/eoOajEJEm9

— BilalRaza (@BilalRaza_PPP) October 22, 2015

Missing #NusratBhutto (R) arrives at Islamabad airport with her daughter.former PM Benazir Bhutto on February 4,1997 pic.twitter.com/N8q8lY7N3U

— BilalRaza (@BilalRaza_PPP) October 22, 2015

The most memorable picture of #NusratBhutto w/ #HakimZardari and sanam Bhutto when @AseefaBZ was born @BakhtawarBZ pic.twitter.com/Kw6H63LZ9R

— N Ramsha Q Khan ❤️ (@wamsha92s) October 22, 2015