I belong to the well-known city, Shahpur of Sargodha, which held district status before the creation of Pakistan. Prominent feudal families of Punjab such as the Tiwanas, Qureshis, and Syeds hailed from Shahpur. These feudal lords used every tactic to keep the children of the poor and middle class of this area away from education. This is why, as soon as the Pakistan People’s Party came into existence and its manifesto was read, my late father, Syed Ejazuddin Shah Tirmizi, immediately joined the party and made our home the centre of PPP’s political activities in Shahpur, serving as the party’s General Secretary of Shah Pur. He loved Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto with a near-fanatical devotion. Like other people of Pakistan, our whole family stood ready to sacrifice our lives at Bhutto’s single call. A few days ago on
April 4th, the anniversary of Bhutto’s martyrdom, I felt compelled to write something about the life of this great martyr to express my love and admiration.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born in Larkana, Sindh. His father, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, served as Chief Advisor to the Bombay Government and held the position of Dewan (Prime Minister) in the princely state of Junagadh. In Pakistan, Bhutto is known and remembered as Quaid-e-Awam, the true leader of the people. He was the most popular Prime Minister in Pakistan’s history.
Bhutto graduated in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950. In 1952, he obtained a Master’s degree in Law from Oxford University and passed the Bar exam from Middle Temple, London, in the same year. He became the first Asian to be appointed as a lecturer in International Law at the University of Southampton in the UK. He also briefly taught law at Muslim College in Karachi and started practising law in the Sindh High Court in 1953.
Bhutto served as Minister of Commerce in Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon’s cabinet under President Iskander Mirza. From 1958 to 1960, he was Minister of Commerce under President Ayub Khan; from 1960 to 1962, Minister of Minority Affairs and National Reconstruction; and in 1962, Minister of Industry, Natural Resources, and Kashmir Affairs. From June 1963 to June 1966, he served as Foreign Minister. In December 1967, he founded the Pakistan People’s Party. In the 1970 general elections, the PPP achieved tremendous success in West Pakistan. In December 1971, General Yahya Khan handed over the reins of power to Bhutto, who served as President from December 1971 to August 13, 1973. On August 14, 1973, he took oath as the Prime Minister under the new constitution.
In the 1977 general elections, a coalition of nine opposition parties formed against Bhutto. After losing the election, they alleged rigging and created a state of civil unrest. On July 5, 1977, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq imposed martial law.
In September 1977, Bhutto was arrested on charges of murdering Nawab Muhammad Ahmed Khan. Based on a controversial verdict by the Supreme Court, he was hanged on April 4, 1979, in Rawalpindi Jail. History remembers certain political leaders whose philosophy and vision remain alive and relevant, and who continue to live in the hearts of the people due to their leadership charisma. One such leader is Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
He was deeply aware of history and crafted his political vision by drawing lessons from it. To truly understand Bhutto’s political philosophy, one must study his writings, interviews, and speeches with impartiality. On November 30, 1967, at the founding convention of the Pakistan People’s Party, he presented the party’s “Basic Documents,” which were unanimously adopted. These documents declared: “Islam is our religion, democracy is our politics, socialism is our economy, and the people are the source of power.”
A visionary leader like Shaheed Bhutto is born once in centuries. He viewed situations within an international and historical framework. His thinking was not superficial but profound. During the time he formed the PPP, the global socialist movement was at its peak with revolutions erupting, but Bhutto had his eyes set on the future. He knew where the communist movement was heading. That is why he emphasized democracy instead of authoritarian socialism. He envisioned socialism not as a political system but as an economic one, saying that private investment would only be allowed on the principles of merit, efficiency, and just profit-not to serve elite families or bureaucratic cliques. He believed that private investment can be profitable only when workers share in its benefits.
Though a supporter of socialism, Bhutto maintained that socialism cannot be implemented through mere decrees or authoritarianism. To establish a classless, socialist society and free it from capitalist exploitation, people must pass through historical stages, and that journey can only be completed through democracy under a pro-people political program.
Another great achievement of Bhutto was giving Pakistan the 1973 Constitution, which not only established a federal parliamentary democracy but also granted greater autonomy to the provinces to reduce their sense of deprivation. Bhutto also gave Pakistan a non-aligned foreign policy. He opposed making Pakistan a pawn of U.S. interests and advocated for closer relations with China, though he made it clear that Pakistan’s own interests would take precedence even in its relationship with China.
He always stressed that in every crisis, the ultimate solution lies in turning to the people because the people are the source of power.
After Bhutto’s martyrdom, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto followed his political philosophy to steer the country out of crisis and sacrificed her life in the process. Bhutto remains alive in the hearts of the people and continues to guide them through his writings, as he preferred martyrdom at the hands of a dictator rather than compromising his principles.
I will never forget how my late father wrote a letter to General Zia-ul-Haq and also sent it to newspaper editors, pleading: “Hang me and my five sons instead of Bhutto, but please spare his life, because his death will orphan the people of Pakistan. It will reverse the intellectual progress of our nation.”
May Allah forgive Shaheed Bhutto and grant him a high place in Jannat-ul-Firdous. Ameen.
Long live Pakistan.
Long live the poor people of Pakistan.
