why did Benazir Bhutto marry Asif Ali Zardari?

[joekrish]

If you find the answer to this one I would get my answer to why I did marry my wife.

 

[shuntmaster]

I was going through Benazir and Zardari's profiles. Benazir was 1953 born and Zardari is 1955 born, which makes Benazir 2 years older than Zardari.
Apart from the ages, there is a huge difference in the family status, wealth and education between the two.
Are such kinds of matches common in Pakistan??

 

[shuntmaster]

Benazir's announcement of her arranged marriage: “Conscious of my religious obligations and duty to my family, I am pleased to proceed with the marriage proposal accepted by my mother.”
Source: Christina Lamb, "My 20-year friendship with Benazir Bhutto began at her wedding", TimesOnLine.co.uk, 10/21/2007.

Benazir about deciding to have an arranged marriage: "In a Moslem society, it's not done for women and men to meet each other, so it's very difficult to get to know each other, and, my being the leader of the largest opposition party in Pakistan, it would have been a lot of rumor to the grist and bad for the image if I had chosen another course."
Source: Howell Raines, "Benazir Bhutto to Marry, in a Pact by 2 Families", NYTimes.com, 07/31/1987.

Benazir about meeting Asif: "I did meet him, and because I felt he's nice and had a sense of humor and he seemed to be a tolerant person in that he could handle having a wife who had an independent career of her own, I thought it was wise to accept the proposal."
Source: Howell Raines, "Benazir Bhutto to Marry, in a Pact by 2 Families", NYTimes.com, 07/31/1987.

Benazir about not being free to marry for love: "For me the choice was not between a love marriage or an arranged marriage but between agreeing to this or not getting married at all ... An arranged marriage may seem traditional, but what is not traditional is the fact I'm not abandoning my identity or my career. If I had thought it might hurt my political career, I know I would never have taken this step. I would never have gotten married at any stage. I would have never sought personal happiness at the cost of my country. If people have given their lives for the cause of freedom and constitutional rule, then I surely could have sacrificed marriage and children."
Source: Tyler Marshall, "Political Maverick Bows to Muslim custom", Los Angeles Times, 08/07/1987.

Benazir on love and marriage: "I was always told by my elders that love comes after a marriage. In an arranged marriage, there is a mental commitment. You know that you are marrying somebody and he is going to be a part of your life forever. It's a very strange kind of mental journey, which I have not read about or heard about, but feel my own self experiencing."
Source: Steven R. Weisman, "The Bride Wore White -- 100,000 Sang Slogans", New York Times, 12/19/1987.

Benazir on keeping her own name: "Benazir Bhutto doesn't cease to exist the moment she marries; she's the same person. I am keeping my own name."
Source: "Joyous Pandemonium Erups Bhutto Weds Man Chosen for Her by Her Mother", Los Angeles Times, 12/18/1987.

Asif on not leaving her and then being imprisoned: "I cannot abandon my wife and children. I would rather die than abandon all of you."
Source: Claudia Dreifus, "Real-Live Dynasty; Benazir Bhutto", NYTimes.com, 05/15, 1994.


Benazir when asked "Why would someone as independent as you accept marriage to someone you hardly knew?": "I couldn't have a love match. I was under so much scrutiny. If my name had been linked with a man, it would have destroyed my political career. Actually, I had reconciled myself to a life without marriage or children for the sake of my career ... So keeping in mind that many people in Pakistan looked to me, I decided to make a personal sacrifice in what I thought would be, more or less, a loveless marriage, a marriage of convenience. The surprising part is that we are very close and that it's been a very good match ... I'd love to arrange my own children's marriages. I say that because I've been so happy."
Source: Claudia Dreifus, "Real-Live Dynasty; Benazir Bhutto", NYTimes.com, 05/15, 1994.

Nusrat Bhutto [Benazir's mother] on why photos during their engagement show Benazir and Asif never touching: "She won't let him near her. For all her modern ideas, my daughter is very old-fashioned."
Source: Karen DeYoung, "The Making of a Marriage -- For Pakistani Opposition Leader Benazir Bhutto, a Union of Politics and Tradition", The Washington Post, 08/11/1987.

Benazir about not having the traditional two-week exclusion: "I didn't have the time to take off."
Source: Jack Reed, "Opposition Chief in Pakistan Weds But Retains Vow to Oust President", Seattle Times, 12/18/1987.

Benazir about her careeer and her personal life: "When I was growing up I thought a woman could have it all and now I find that yes a woman can have it all but she has to be prepared to pay the price. And the price means a lot of guilt about not being there for your children when they need you, a lot of tension also with your husband on work schedules. So you find you can have a husband, you can have a family, you can have a career but at the end of the time you have very little time left for yourself. That's a choice I made and it brought me a lot of satisfaction but for those who want to start out, I would say there is a price that has to be paid."
Source: "Doing it all: paying the price", BBC.co.uk

Benazir on Asif's imprisonment: "So I think our bond grew much deeper as a consequence of his imprisonment, because he then shared what I had known and we became much closer emotionally."
Source: Claudia Dreifus, "Real-Live Dynasty; Benazir Bhutto", NYTimes.com, 05/15, 1994.

 

[mr42O]

Her mother wanted her too since she was in politic and other politic parties was doing propganda against her for not been marry in that age same as against Imran Khan and by same party. PML-N etc

 

[Malik Usman]

Probably it was neither her decision or Zardari's decision.............a decision was made by Bhutto her father adn Hakam Ali Zardari father of Asif ali Zardari.............the two landlords were wanted to join and raise their power..........that could be the decision.

 

[Sugarcane]

If you find the answer to this one I would get my answer to why I did marry my wife.

Never laugh at your wife's choices, You are one of them. Never be proud of your choices. Your wife is one of them

 

[r3alist]

I think we can totally rule out any notion of a marriage of love, hahaha.


Every quote I have read from her implies that this was done because she had to do it, for whatever reason, therefore I guess it was calculated to an extent, but still, why zardari and his clan?

 

[T90TankGuy]

is that zadari? what did he do tho change his skin tone ? do a Michel Jackson?

 

[T90TankGuy]

Never laugh at your wife's choices, You are one of them. Never be proud of your choices. Your wife is one of them

thats one of the best lines

 

[araz]

Guys leave her alone.She is gone and there is no benefit in discussing why she married the oaf.
Araz

 

[r3alist]

Guys leave her alone.She is gone and there is no benefit in discussing why she married the oaf.
Araz

It's hardly disrespectful to ask such questions, by this standard we could never question any event in history - because it could be disrespectful.

 

[FireFighter]

Probably it was neither her decision or Zardari's decision.............a decision was made by Bhutto her father adn Hakam Ali Zardari father of Asif ali Zardari.............the two landlords were wanted to join and raise their power..........that could be the decision.

That's precisely right.

And that's what (sindhi) wadaira's mindset is all about, acquire more power by subjugating more people. A legacy they inherited from their British masters.

They didn't join Jinnah to spread Islam or make an Islamic country based on democratic ideals, they were pretty well off living off the peasant constituents under the British Raj, what would they gain? In fact they saw a marvelous opportunity in Jinnah's Pakistan that would give them a chance to rule over a larger area, subjugate more masses n wield more power not with the help of the British but in the uniform of democracy in the 20th century.

The Sindhi Wadhera's benefited immensely with ZAB coming to power, however Balochi cheifs didn't gain much rather suffered. Dont you wonder why some Balcohi wadhera's really want a separation?

I think we can totally rule out any notion of a marriage of love, hahaha.

Every quote I have read from her implies that this was done because she had to do it, for whatever reason, therefore I guess it was calculated to an extent, but still, why zardari and his clan?

It was indeed a marriage of convenience for BB, she had to do it to silence the opposition and rumours surrounding her. She didn't marry for the sake of fulfilling the religious tradition, but to further her political life n save her political image. If you read her quotes carefully one thing glares out of all of them is that she never seemed willing to compromise on coming to power. Power obsession that was inherited from ZAB and Wadhera clan.

but i'm sure Zardari was madly in love and through his charm he was able to influence n sway Nusrat and then BB. Credit must be given to Zardari, hes a remarkable salesman.

 

[JohnyD]

may be she didnt ve any better choice in her country...

 

[shfgfa]

Zardari is a flirt.

 

[cheekybird]

may be she was carrying his baby b4 marriage ... i mean the lust problem

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