Benazir Bhutto Biography

The eldest of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

From 1969 to 1973 attends Radcliffe College at Harvard University, where she obtains a Bachelor of Arts degree with cum laude honors in comparative Government

Between 1973 and 1977 Bhutto studies Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

Completes a course in International Law and Diplomacy while at Oxford

Completes a course in International Law and Diplomacy while at Oxford

Bhutto, who had returned to Pakistan after completing her studies, is placed under house arrest in the wake of her fathers imprisonment and subsequent execution

Despite the accusation being "widely doubted by the public" and despite many clemency appeals from foreign leaders, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is hanged. Bhutto, who had returned to Pakistan after completing her studies, is placed under house arrest in the wake of her fathers imprisonment and subsequent execution

Allowed to return to the United Kingdom, Bhutto becomes a leader in exile of the PPP, her fathers party

Allowed to return to the United Kingdom, Bhutto becomes a leader in exile of the PPP, her fathers party

Allowed to return to the United Kingdom, Bhutto becomes a leader in exile of the PPP, her fathers party

Benazir Bhuttos brother Shahnawaz is killed under suspicious circumstances in France

Returns to Pakistan after 2 years exile in Britain

Marries Asif Zardari

1st female Prime Minister of a Muslim country

In the first open election in more than a decade, Bhuttos PPP win the largest bloc of seats in the National Assembly

Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party wins the largest bloc in the National Assembly.

Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party wins the largest bloc in the National Assembly.

General election outcome recorded for Benazir Bhutto: Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party wins the largest bloc in the National Assembly.

Government context for this general election: Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party wins the largest bloc in the National Assembly.

In the first open election in more than a decade, Bhuttos PPP win the largest bloc of seats in the National Assembly

The 1988 election returns the Pakistan Peoples Party as the leading parliamentary party.

Benazir Bhutto becomes the first woman to govern a Muslim-majority state.

Benazir Bhutto takes the oath as Prime Minister at age thirty-five.

Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of a coalition Government, becoming at age 35 the youngest person, and the first woman, to head the Government of a Muslim-majority state in modern times

Benazir Bhutto begins her first term as Prime Minister.

Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of a coalition Government, becoming at age 35 the youngest person, and the first woman, to head the Government of a Muslim-majority state in modern times

Liberal International awards Benazir Bhutto its Prize for Freedom.

Charged with corruption & missuse of power

Benazir Bhutto's first government is dismissed under presidential dissolution powers.

Violence at Pucca Qila deepens ethnic conflict in Sindh.

The Pakistan Peoples Party loses the 1990 election to the Islamic Democratic Alliance.

The Pakistan Peoples Party loses the 1990 election to the Islamic Democratic Alliance.

General election outcome recorded for Benazir Bhutto: The Pakistan Peoples Party loses the 1990 election to the Islamic Democratic Alliance.

Government context for this general election: The Pakistan Peoples Party loses the 1990 election to the Islamic Democratic Alliance.

The Pakistan Peoples Party emerges as the largest party in the 1993 election.

The Pakistan Peoples Party emerges as the largest party in the 1993 election.

General election outcome recorded for Benazir Bhutto: The Pakistan Peoples Party emerges as the largest party in the 1993 election.

Government context for this general election: The Pakistan Peoples Party emerges as the largest party in the 1993 election.

Benazir Bhutto begins her second term as Prime Minister.

Sharif returns to power in February 1997 with such a huge majority that the result is immediately questioned by Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party, Sharif won by obtaining 90 percent of the national votes cast. Serves as leader of the opposition while Nawaz Sharif becomes Prime Minister for the next three years. After being dismissed by the then-president of Pakistan on charges of corruption, Bhuttos party loses the October elections

Presidential powers under the Eighth Amendment end Bhutto's second government.

Benazir Bhutto leaves office after President Leghari dismisses her cabinet.

Swiss authorities provide Pakistan with documents relating to corruption allegations against Bhutto and her husband.

Bhutto goes into self-imposed exile in Dubai

Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf amends Pakistans constitution to ban Prime Minister's from serving more than two terms, this disqualifies Bhutto from ever holding the office again

The Bhutto-led PPP secures the highest number of votes (28.42%) and eighty seats (23.16%) in the national assembly in the October 2002 general elections. Candidates of PPP form a faction of their own, calling it PPP-Patriots, led by Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, former leader of Bhutto-led PPP who later form a coalition Government with Musharrafs party, PML-Q

The Bhutto-led PPP secures the highest number of votes (28.42%) and eighty seats (23.16%) in the national assembly in the October 2002 general elections

Bhutto becomes a member of Minhaj ul Quran International (An international Muslim educational and welfare organisation)

Bhutto becomes a member of Minhaj ul Quran International (An international Muslim educational and welfare organisation)

Swiss magistrates find Bhutto and her husband guilty of money laundering, they are given six-month suspended jail terms, fined $50,000 each and were ordered to pay $11 million to the Pakistani Government

Swiss magistrates find Bhutto and her husband guilty of money laundering, they are given six-month suspended jail terms, fined $50,000 each and were ordered to pay $11 million to the Pakistani Government

Interpol issues a request for the arrest of Bhutto and her husband on corruption charges, at the request of Pakistan

Bhutto declares her intention to return to Pakistan within 2007, which she did, in spite of Musharrafs statements of May 2007 about not allowing her to return ahead of the countrys general election, due late 2007 or early 2008

Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed states that officials agreed to grant Benazir Bhutto amnesty versus pending corruption charges. Bhutto declares her intention to return to Pakistan within 2007, which she did, in spite of Musharrafs statements of May 2007 about not allowing her to return ahead of the countrys general election, due late 2007 or early 2008

Bhutto vows to return to Pakistan "very soon", regardless of whether or not she reached a power-sharing deal with Musharraf before then

Benazir Bhutto accuses Pervez Musharrafs allies of pushing Pakistan into crisis by their refusal to permit democratic reforms and power-sharing

Bhutto accuses Musharrafs allies of pushing Pakistan into crisis by their refusal to permit democratic reforms and power-sharing

Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed states that officials agreed to grant Benazir Bhutto amnesty versus pending corruption charges

Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed states that officials agreed to grant Benazir Bhutto amnesty versus pending corruption charges

Musharraf signs the National Reconciliation Ordinance, giving amnesty to Bhutto and other political leaders-except exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif-in all court cases against them, including all corruption charges

After eight years in exile in Dubai and London, Bhutto returns to Karachi to prepare for the 2008 national elections

After eight years in exile in Dubai and London, Bhutto returns to Karachi to prepare for the 2008 national elections

Bhutto later claimed that she had warned the Pakistani Government that suicide bomb squads would target her upon her return to Pakistan and that the Government had failed to act.

En route to a rally in Karachi two explosions occur shortly after Bhutto had landed and left Jinnah International Airport, she was not injured but the explosions, later found to be a suicide-bomb attack, killed 136 people.

The dead include at least 50 of the security guards from her PPP who had formed a human chain around her truck to keep potential bombers away, as well as 6 police officers.

En route to a rally in Karachi two explosions occur shortly after Bhutto had landed and left Jinnah International Airport, she was not injured but the explosions, later found to be a suicide-bomb attack, killed 136 people. Bhutto later claimed that she had warned the Pakistani Government that suicide bomb squads would target her upon her return to Pakistan and that the Government had failed to act

Bhutto is placed under house arrest just a few hours before she was due to lead and address a rally against the state of emergency

Bhutto is placed under house arrest just a few hours before she was due to lead and address a rally against the state of emergency

Bhutto meets Nawaz Sharif to publicize their demand that Musharraf fulfill his promise to lift the state of emergency before Januarys Parliamentary elections, threatening to boycott the vote if he failed to comply

Bhutto meets Nawaz Sharif to publicize their demand that Musharraf fulfill his promise to lift the state of emergency before Januarys Parliamentary elections, threatening to boycott the vote if he failed to comply

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa states that, "We condemn this assassination and terrorist act, and pray for God Almighty to bless her soul".

Bhutto is killed leaving a campaign rally for the PPP at Liaquat National Bagh, where she had given a spirited address to party supporters in the run-up to the January 2008 Parliamentary elections.

The United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting and unanimously condemns the assassination.

Bhutto is killed leaving a campaign rally for the PPP at Liaquat National Bagh, where she had given a spirited address to party supporters in the run-up to the January 2008 Parliamentary elections

Death of Benazir Bhutto

Bhutto is killed leaving a campaign rally for the PPP at Liaquat National Bagh, where she had given a spirited address to party supporters in the run-up to the January 2008 Parliamentary elections

The United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting and unanimously condemns the assassination

Bhuttos body is flown to her hometown of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana District, Sindh, and is buried next to her father in the family mausoleum at a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners

The Interior Ministry of Pakistan states that "Bhutto was killed when she tried to duck back into the vehicle, and the shock waves from the blast knocked her head into a lever attached to the sunroof, fracturing her skull"