Islamabad (GNP): Marking the 15th death anniversary of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, a member of her family paid a personal tribute to her, recalling her with love, pride and longing. Known as Madar-e-Jamhooriat, the Mother of Democracy, she was also, the writer said, a grandmother whose courage, compassion and strength remain a source of inspiration.
The tribute noted that Begum Nusrat Bhutto bore more grief than any mother should. She lost her husband, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, her sons Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shaheed Shahnawaz Bhutto, and her daughter, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Despite these immense losses, she held fast to her principles and her faith in the people of Pakistan. Her life, the writer said, showed that courage is not the absence of pain but the determination to stand firm in spite of it.
She played a leading part in the movement to restore democracy during one of the hardest periods in Pakistan’s history, enduring repeated arrests, detention and physical violence under military rule. On 16 December 1977 she was injured in a police baton charge at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, yet she was not silenced. She stood with the people even when it carried a heavy personal cost.
Her courage also showed in how she supported and guided Benazir Bhutto, who went on to lead Pakistan. Together, the tribute said, the two women demonstrated that women can shape history, challenge injustice and assume the highest public responsibilities.
For the writer, remembering her grandmother is both an act of personal love and a reminder of the responsibility that comes with her legacy. Her example speaks directly to young women and girls, and the writer expressed the wish that every girl, in a village, small town or big city, knows her aspirations matter. Every girl deserves the chance to get an education, develop her abilities, speak confidently and help shape her future, and none should be led to believe her ambitions are out of reach because of her gender.
Fifteen years on, the writer said, time has not lessened what Begum Nusrat Bhutto means to the family or the country. She misses her grandmother as she misses her mother, and draws strength from the values they lived by. The legacy lives on, the tribute said, in the courage of women who stand up for their beliefs, in girls who pursue education against the odds, and in everyone working toward a Pakistan of freedom, opportunity and respect.
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The tribute closed with a prayer that Almighty Allah grant Begum Nusrat Bhutto the highest place in Jannah, and that her life continue to guide and inspire.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
