Nancy Pelosi pays tribute to Benazir Bhutto at documentay premiere

WASHINGTON, June 30 (APP): Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi paid glowing tribute to Pakistan’s martyred prime minister Benazir Bhutto as politicians and policymakers gathered at the premiere of a documentary chronicling courageous life and democratic contributions of the popular leader.“She gave hope for future of the country and was a model of women’s development,” Speaker Pelosi told the gathering including American lawmakers, intellectuals and Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, senior Pakistani diplomats and Ms. Sanam Bhutto, Benazir’s sister and only living sibling.

Speaker Pelosi recalled her meeting with the Muslim world’s first and youngest woman prime minister in 1989, when Benazir Bhutto visited Washington and met with members of US Congress. Pelosi described the meeting with the young leader as a “thrill of the lifetime.” Pelosi spoke at the National Geographic Society headquarters where ‘Bhutto,’ a riveting documentary on life and work of the Pakistani icon of democracy - was screened by the Independent Television Service.
Speaker Pelosi told the audience she found Benazir Bhutto an “informal and unassuming” figure, although she was an immensely popular and fascinating politician.
She was a “great leader in the world,” Pelosi said of Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, 2007, months after her return to Pakistan.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani, paying tribute to one of the most popular and influential leaders of the era, said Benazir Bhutto represented aspirations of the Pakistanis for modern democracy, empowerment of the poor and a model for intelligentsia. “She was a tolerant leader and had full faith in democracy, an inspiring figure for the people desiring change in their lives,” he added.
The ambassador informed the audience how the former prime minister motivated people to stand up against extremism and said she was the first politician who “fearlessly” spoke against parochialism.
Highlighting her ideas and ideals for democratic advancement, Ambassador Haqqani hoped that Pakistan would become a modern democracy as envisioned by Benazir Bhutto.
The 150-minute documentary captures the epic tale of the life, career, and assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who broke the glass ceiling as the first elected woman leader of Muslim world.
A post-screening discussion hosted by PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff provided additional perspective on the film and Benazir Bhutto’s life and work. The film’s director Duane Baughman and producer Mark Siegel participated and answered questions.