President Asif Ali Zardari today issued a message on the 37th anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s ascension to power, which he termed the restoration of democratic governance in Pakistan after eleven years of martial law and dictatorship.
The President recalled that on December 2, 1988, Mohtarma Bhutto took the oath of office at the age of 35, making her the country’s youngest prime minister and the first democratically elected female head of state in the Islamic world.
According to the President of Pakistan, this significant moment marked the beginning of the journey back to democracy under the leadership of the young prime minister.
President Zardari’s statement said that Bhutto’s rise to power sent a “new wave of hope” across the country. He emphasized that it also sent a powerful message that nurtured the dream of greater political participation among women and the country’s youth.
Concluding his message, the President said that by attaining the office of Prime Minister, the late leader strengthened the national commitment to public rule, democratic principles, and equality.