Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was posthumously awarded the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award for 2007 in an emotion-filled ceremony in this Irish town on Saturday. County Tipperary is the largest inland county on the Irish South Western coast and a popular tourist destination.
Similar awards had been earlier given to among others, former South African president Nelson Mandela, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, former US President Bill Clinton, US Senator George Mitchell, and the late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Ms. Bhutto's long-time associate Bashir Riaz received the award on behalf of her family. Her husband Asif Zardari, now co-chairperson of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP), expressed regret that he was unable to be in Tipperary to accept the award himself, as he was "busy in the transition of government in Pakistan."
In the wake of her martyrdom on December 27, 2007, Ms Bhutto's party was voted into power in Pakistan last month.
An emotional Bashir Riaz, in his speech, said that he had been asked to receive the award by Asif Zardari as, in his own words, "this would make her soul happy." Riaz headed a large delegation from Pakistan and the UK received the award amidst thunderous applause with the audience giving standing ovation to the late leader. It was particularly touching for PPP workers who had come from places as far as Denmark, the UK, France and Belgium.
Zardari, whose message was read on the occasion, said the conferment of the award was a glowing testimony of the international recognition for his spouse's life-long endeavour for democracy.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also sent a message of thanks, saying, "the addition of Mohtarma's name in the prestigious list is a source of pride and inspiration for Pakistanis.
Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hassan was equally emotional when he recalled while speaking on the occasion that Benazir never gave up hope for the betterment of people in Pakistan. "She was a brave woman who could not be deterred by anything if the issue involved principles," he said, tears in his eyes. She was there to inspire us when some of us would feel down or give up hope about the state of affairs in Pakistan."
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