Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar was their third child—their first one, Sikandar Ali, had died from pneumonia at age seven in 1914, and the second, Imdad Ali, died of cirrhosis at age 39 in 1953.

His father was the dewan of the princely state of Junagadh and enjoyed an influential relationship with the officials of the British Raj.

As a young boy, Bhutto moved to Worli Seaface in Bombay to study at the Cathedral and John Connon School, later St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

He then also became an activist in the Pakistan Movement.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister, politician, and statesman.

In 1943, his marriage was arranged with Shireen Amir Begum.

In 1947, Bhutto was admitted to the University of Southern California to study political science.

Coming to power in a palace coup, he secured the accession of his state to Pakistan, which was ultimately negated by Indian intervention in December 1947.

In 1949, as a sophomore, Bhutto transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. (honours) degree in political science in 1950.

In June 1950, Bhutto travelled to the United Kingdom to study law at Christ Church, Oxford and received a BA in jurisprudence, followed by an LLM degree in law and an M.Sc.

(honours) degree in political science.

A year later on 8 September 1951, he married a woman of Iranian Kurdish origin—Nusrat Ispahani, popularly known as Begum Nusrat Bhutto.

During his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Bhutto became interested in the theories of socialism, delivering a series of lectures on their feasibility in Islamic countries.

During this time, Bhutto's father played a controversial role in the affairs of Junagadh.

Upon finishing his studies, he served as a lecturer in international law at the University of Southampton in 1952, and he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1953.

In 1957, Bhutto became the youngest member of Pakistan's delegation to the United Nations.

Initially, he was a cabinet member during president Iskandar Ali Mirza's tenure, holding various ministries during president Muhammad Ayub Khan's military rule from 1958.

He addressed the UN Sixth Committee on Aggression that October and led Pakistan's delegation to the first UN Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1958.

That year, Bhutto became Pakistan's youngest cabinet minister, taking up the reins of the Ministry of Commerce by President Iskander Mirza, pre-coup d'état government.

Bhutto became the Foreign Minister in 1963, advocating for Operation Gibraltar in Kashmir, leading to the 1965 war with India.

Following the Tashkent Declaration, he was dismissed from the government.

Bhutto established the PPP in 1967, focusing on an Islamic socialist agenda, and contested the 1970 general election.

The Awami League and PPP were unable to agree on power transfer, leading to civil unrest and the creation of Bangladesh.

He served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth prime minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977.

Bhutto founded the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and served as its chairman until his execution.

Born in Sindh and educated at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Oxford, Bhutto trained as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn before entering politics.

After Pakistan's loss in the 1971 war against Bangladesh, Bhutto assumed the presidency in December 1971, imposing emergency rule.

During his presidency, Bhutto secured the release of 93,000 prisoners of war and reclaimed 5,000 sqmi of Indian-held territory through the Simla Agreement.

Bhutto's government drafted the current constitution of Pakistan in 1973, after which he transitioned to the prime minister's office.

He played a crucial role in initiating the country's nuclear program.

However, his policies, including extensive nationalisation, led to economic stagnation.

He strengthened diplomatic ties with China and Saudi Arabia, recognized Bangladesh, and hosted the second Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Lahore in 1974.

Despite winning the 1977 parliamentary elections, Bhutto faced allegations of widespread vote rigging, sparking violence across the country.

On 5 July 1977, Bhutto was deposed in a military coup by army chief Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Controversially tried and executed in 1979, Bhutto's legacy remains contentious, praised for nationalism and a secular internationalist agenda, yet criticized for political repression, economic challenges, and human rights abuses.

He is often considered one of Pakistan's greatest leaders.

His party, the PPP, continues to be a significant political force in Pakistan, with his daughter Benazir Bhutto serving twice as Prime Minister, and his son-in-law, Asif Ali Zardari, becoming president.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto belonged to a Sindhi family.

He was born to Shah Nawaz Bhutto and Khursheed Begum near Larkana.

Khursheed Begum was born Lakhi Bai in Gujarat into a Hindu family of Gujarati or Kutchi background but converted to Islam when she married Shah Nawaz.