Madame Tussauds unveils Benazir’s statue

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto attends ceremony in Dubai

ABU DHABI:

Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday attended the unveiling of a wax figure of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto at an event held at Madame Tussauds in Dubai.

The slain politician is the first Pakistani whose wax statue is displayed at the museum's outpost in the Arab world, opened in the commercial centre of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October 2021.

Benazir, who fought a long and difficult political battle for restoration of democracy in the country, served as the country’s prime minister twice. She was assassinated in a terror attack on December 27, 2007 after an election rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari—Benazir’s eldest son who was just 19 years old at the time of her death—was specially invited at the Madame Tussauds event in Dubai.
High officials of the gulf state and Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi received the foreign minister at the airport upon his arrival.

Speaking at the ceremony at Madame Tussauds, Bilawal said his mother was a “symbol of democracy, freedom and equal rights for women across the world” and portrayed the progressive face of Pakistan.

“We have a close attachment to this city and country. We are immensely grateful that the memory of our mother, Benazir Bhutto, is being honoured here in the form of this wax statue,” he added.

During his one-day visit, FM Bilawal would also meet his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.

According to an official statement, the visit reflects Pakistan's strong ties, relations and bilateral cooperation with the UAE. Both countries are committed to strengthening brotherly relations and deepening mutually beneficial economic partnerships.

APP WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK