By Sardar Khan Niazi

In Pakistan’s troubled political history, few figures evoke as much passion, debate and enduring symbolism as Benazir Bhutto. More than a former prime minister, she remains a powerful idea of democratic resistance and politics rooted in the aspirations of ordinary people. Decades after her assassination, Benazir’s political legacy continues to shape how democracy is imagined, demanded and defended in Pakistan. Born into privilege yet forged in adversity, Benazir Bhutto’s political life unfolded against the backdrop of authoritarian rule. The execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a defining political moment that transformed her from a reluctant heir into a determined leader. Her years of imprisonment, exile and relentless persecution gave moral weight to her politics. In a country where power often flows from institutions rather than the ballot, Benazir stood as a reminder that legitimacy ultimately rests with the people. Addressing massive crowds, she articulated a language of hope that resonated with workers, peasants, women and minorities. Her politics was not confined to elite negotiations; it thrived in public rallies, street protests and direct engagement with the masses. As the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, Benazir shattered deeply entrenched gender barriers. Yet she rarely reduced her identity to symbolism alone. Her insistence on being judged as a political leader not merely as a woman leader reflected her belief in substantive, not cosmetic, empowerment. For many Pakistani women, her leadership expanded the realm of the possible, proving that public space need not remain an exclusively male domain. Benazir’s two tenures as prime minister were constrained and contentious. Operating under the shadow of a powerful presidency and an assertive establishment, her governments faced constant destabilization. Critics often focus on issues of governance, corruption and missed opportunities. These criticisms deserve scrutiny. Benazir governed, but rarely ruled. Her struggle was not simply to implement policies, but to preserve the very principle of elected leadership. What distinguished Benazir was her consistent refusal to abandon democratic norms, even when expediency beckoned. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not seek power through undemocratic shortcuts. Her signing of the Charter of Democracy with Nawaz Sharif in 2006 remains one of the most consequential acts in Pakistan’s political evolution. It signaled a recognition that democratic survival required unity among civilian forces. Benazir’s assassination in December 2007 was a brutal reminder of the risks faced by those who challenge entrenched power structures. Her death was not only a personal loss for her supporters but a collective wound for the democratic project. Yet, paradoxically, it also reaffirmed her place in history as a symbol of resistance. She returned to Pakistan despite credible threats, choosing political struggle over personal safety. In doing so, she embodied a form of politics grounded in sacrifice rather than calculation. Today, as Pakistan continues to grapple with political polarization and public disillusionment, Benazir Bhutto’s legacy offers important lessons. Democracy cannot survive without popular ownership. Political parties must remain connected to the lived realities of citizens, not insulated within elite circles. Moreover, resistance to authoritarianism requires courage, consistency and compromise  qualities Benazir displayed, often at great personal cost. To remember Benazir merely as a martyr is to diminish her significance. She was, above all, a political actor who believed in the transformative power of people’s politics. Her life reminds us that democracy in Pakistan has never been gifted; it has always been contested, resisted and reclaimed. In that ongoing struggle, Benazir Bhutto remains not just a chapter in history, but a continuing reference point, a symbol of democracy’s promise and the price it demands.