Born leader who lived and died by her unfailing conviction

IT WAS a life spent sometimes in power, mostly in exile, but forever under threat.

Like her father, Benazir Bhutto lived and died by her political conviction. For all her charisma, she even shared his simple slogan which championed the cause of the poor: "Bread, clothes, and shelter."

On her return to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in October, there were ecstatic scenes as Karachi became paralysed by hundreds of thousands of her supporters. But the 54-year-old knew there was also hostility to her political comeback.

By her own estimate, no fewer than four different factions were plotting her death within hours of her return to Pakistan, among them a suicide squad affiliated with the Taleban, and an al-Qaeda-linked offshoot. To them, she was an advocate of women's rights and an American stooge.

On the day she returned to Pakistan, two car bombs targeted the bus she was travelling on, killing 139 and injuring hundreds more. Her response to the incident was typically dignified, yet angry. "The attack was on what I represent," she said. "The attack was on democracy and the very unity and integrity of Pakistan."

Even yesterday, at her final rally in Rawalpindi, Ms Bhutto spoke of how her family had suffered for their beliefs. Her father, she told supporters, was killed while her brother was poisoned.

Born on 21 June 1953, Ms Bhutto was educated at Harvard and Oxford. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a former prime minister and founder of the Pakistani People's Party (PPP) his daughter would go on to lead, was imprisoned and charged with murder in 1978 following a military coup by General Zia ul-Haq, before being executed.

Ms Bhutto was imprisoned for five years, a sentence which began shortly before her father's death. During periodic spells out of incarceration, Ms Bhutto founded a London office of the PPP, spearheading a campaign against General Zia.

On her first return to Pakistan, in 1986, crowds flocked to her political rallies to hear her speak of her wish for civilian rule. Two years later, she began her first term as the nation's prime minister. Serving until 1990, she became the first and only female leader of an Islamic country in post-colonial times.

As was to be the case with her second term, from 1993 to 1996, her time in office was mixed.

Her prudent economic stance helped reduce Pakistan's budget deficit, earning the country a clean bill of health from the IMF and World Bank. A multi-billion dollar privatisation programme, meanwhile, ushered in a new future for Pakistan, with Ms Bhutto commended for her transparent approach.

Her leadership though, became sullied by allegations of corruption – a controversy inextricably linked to her husband, Asif Zardari, a man some believe has siphoned off millions of dollars from government accounts.

Ms Bhutto, deriding such accusations as politically motivated, faced corruption charges in at least five cases, all without a conviction, until she was amnestied in October.

Her government was not flawless. She failed to pass a single piece of major legislation in her initial 20-month term, partly due to the constraints of the military presence, and she became embroiled in petty disputes which created the impression that she was drifting away from her party's populist roots.

Her time in exile – she left Pakistan in 1999 to live abroad – was spent largely between Dubai and London. Her life in the latter did much to further her portrayal as a Westernised Pakistani, given her penchant for shopping trips to Harrods, ownership of a yellow MG and nicknames from her Oxford days – Bibi, or Pinky, the Asian girl out on the town.

Ms Bhutto's moderate and liberal views found favour with numerous think tanks and government officials, and she was a regular fixture on the international lecture circuit.

One such speech, given at Harvard in 1989, outlined her belief in a modern Pakistan. "Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies," she said.

With her return to contest parliamentary elections in Pakistan on 18 October, so began a fragile process of compromise.

President Pervez Musharraf, the military leader who seized power in 1999, promised not to pursue the corruption charges against Ms Bhutto. In turn, the PPP gave tacit support for his re-election.

However, such a delicate position proved untenable in the days and weeks that followed. Amid a state of emergency, Ms Bhutto and Mr Musharraf circled one another's positions.

Support for Ms Bhutto grew, despite constant threats against her life. "Bhutto is alive!" she cried at a rally earlier this month.

Now she is dead, and her country's future hangs precariously in the balance.

Sarwar and Brown condemn assassination as 'tragedy for the nation'

MOHAMMED Sarwar described the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a friend for over 25 years, as a "tragedy for the nation" that sparked violence on the streets of Pakistan and threw the forthcoming elections into jeopardy.

The Labour MP for Glasgow Central is in Lahore as part of a parliamentary delegation of election observers and was due to meet Ms Bhutto next week.

Speaking to The Scotsman from the Pakistani capital, Mr Sarwar said yesterday: "This is a tragedy for the nation and for her family. Everybody here is devastated. She was a very popular leader and a very brave woman.

"Brutal people have taken her life and there is now deep public unrest. We are seeing violence on the streets and I think it is now highly unlikely that the elections will go ahead."

While studying at the University of Faisalabad, Mr Sarwar was president of the student wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Miss Bhutto's father's party. He continued to support Ms Bhutto when he moved to Scotland.

He said: "I'm in Lahore just now. I arrived yesterday as part of a parliamentary delegation of electoral observers. I knew her for over 25 years. People are stunned and shocked."

However, Mr Sarwar's view was not shared by other prominent Scottish Muslims.

Osama Saeed, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Scotland said: "She was a two-term prime minister with a less-than-impressive record. She and her husband fled the country because of their financial corruption.

"On US prompting she returned to Pakistan despite warnings that it would lead to bloodshed. She ignored this and put not just her own life on the line but her followers' too."

Last night, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, joined international condemnation of the assassination of Ms Bhutto and said she had been killed by "cowards afraid of democracy".

He said the former Pakistan prime minister had shown "immense personal courage" and vowed to continue to fight terrorists at home and abroad.

In a statement, Mr Brown said: "This is a sad day for democracy; it's a tragic hour for Pakistan. My condolences go to the whole of the Bhutto family, including her children, and to all who have lost their lives today. Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery.

"Knowing as she did the threats to her life, and the previous attempt at assassination, she risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan. And she has been assassinated by cowards afraid of democracy.

"Benazir Bhutto may have been killed by terrorists but the terrorists must not be allowed to kill democracy in Pakistan."

STEPHEN MCGINTY