On This Day

Ex-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed.

Murtaza Bhutto (18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leftist activist who led Al-Zulfiqar, a left-wing militant organization, against Zia-ul-Haq's military regime.

Murtaza Bhutto (18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leftist activist who led Al-Zulfiqar, a left-wing militant organization, against Zia-ul-Haq's military regime. He was a member of the Bhutto family as the son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from the University of Oxford. Murtaza founded al-Zulfiqar after his father was overthrown and executed in 1979 by the military regime of General General Zia-ul-Haq. In 1981, he claimed responsibility for the assassination of conservative politician Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, and the hijacking of a Pakistan International Airlines airplane from Karachi, during which a hostage was killed.

Historical Significance

Murtaza Bhutto (18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leftist activist who led Al-Zulfiqar, a left-wing militant organization, against Zia-ul-Haq's military regime.

Events Before

  1. Air India Flight 855 crashes into the Arabian Sea less than two minutes after takeoff, killing all 213 people on board

    Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  2. TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy a

    TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy

  3. Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

    Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

  4. Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone lay

    Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone layer

  5. Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

    Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chrysler Europe is renamed Talbot

    Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.

  2. Real Records releases "Pretenders" in the UK, the debut album by The Pretenders

    Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, it was an immediate success.

  3. Pink Floyd's double album "The Wall" hits #1

    The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest CBS Records. It is the last album to include all four post-Barrett-era band members.

  4. US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afgh

    US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

  5. Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

    Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

More from the 1970s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 4, 1979?
Murtaza Bhutto (18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leftist activist who led Al-Zulfiqar, a left-wing militant organization, against Zia-ul-Haq's military regime. He was a member of the Bhutto family as the son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a master's degree from the University of Oxford. Murtaza founded al-Zulfiqar after his father was overthrown and executed in 1979 by the military regime of General General Zia-ul-Haq.
Why is Ex-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed. significant?
Murtaza Bhutto (18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leftist activist who led Al-Zulfiqar, a left-wing militant organization, against Zia-ul-Haq's military regime.

Explore More