Dubai: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday unveiled wax figure of former Prime Minister of Pakistan the late Benazir Bhutto at Madame Tussauds in Dubai.
It is the first wax figure of a Pakistani personality at the Madame Tussauds in Dubai.
“Dubai has a special place in the heart of our family as my mother Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto spent around 10 years here in Dubai when we were in exile,” said Bilawal while speaking at the ceremony.
Pakistan Ambassador Faisal Niaz Trimzi; diplomats and prominent Pakistani community members also attended the ceremony.
Two -time former Prime Minsiter Benazir Bhutto was chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party. She was the first woman to be elected as the prime minister of Pakistan twice. She was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack on December 27, 2007, after leaving her party’s rally in Rawalpindi.
“It is indeed an honour and a privilege that we are unveiling the statue of Shaheed mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, here at Madame Tussauds, Dubai. I first seen this statue in the Madame Tussauds in London.
“Dubai is very special to me as I received my primary and secondary education here in the UAE so we have a close attachment to this city and to this country.
“And we are immensely grateful that the memory of our mother is brought here in the form of this wax statue.
“She was a symbol of democracy, freedom and for equal rights for women across the world. She strived for the peaceful, prosperous and progressive face of Pakistan.”
Beloved leader
Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the ceremony, Sardar Javed Yaqoob, President PPP in UAE said that Pakistani expats in the UAE are very pleased to have this wax figure of their beloved leader here in Dubai. “We spent a lot of time with her while she was living here raising her children. We are thankful to the Madame Tussauds for refreshing our leader’s memories in Dubai,” he added.
Late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s wax figure unveiled at the Madame Tussauds wears the same outfit she wore when sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan. The figure was sculpted from a sitting in 1989 using the traditional techniques. The figure will be placed in the first zone of Madame Tussauds Dubai, alongside wax figures of Royals and leaders of the world.
Historic moment
Pakistan Ambassador Trimzi said that unveiling of the wax statue of the late Benazir Bhutto in Dubai is a historic moment for all Pakistanis. “The work of Madame Tussauds allows us to celebrate the achievements and contributions of remarkable individuals who have inspired generations all over the world. I am glad that Pakistani citizens living in the UAE will now be able to visit the likeness of Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto at Madame Tussauds Dubai and learn about her accomplishments,” he added.
Sanaz Kollsrud, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Dubai said, “We are honored that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was able to attend the figure reveal. We are pleased and humbled to include Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to the line-up of respected figures at Madame Tussauds Dubai and share her figure with our Pakistani guests”.
The stateswoman
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician and stateswoman who served as the 11th and 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. She was the first female leader of any Islamic state in modern history and daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (1971–1977).
