What’s common between New Zealand PM, late Benazir Bhutto

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Auckland: New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday (local time) became the world’s first leader in three decades to give birth while holding the office after former Pakistan Prime Minister Late Benazir Bhutto gave birth to a girl child in 1990.

As reported by the New York Times, Ardern delivered her first child, a girl, in Auckland. Once she entered the hospital, country’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters assumed the role of acting prime minister.

Ardern posted on her Instagram account to announce child-birth saying, ” Welcome to our village wee one. Feeling very lucky to have a healthy baby girl that arrived at 4.45pm weighing 3.31kg (7.3lb) Thank you so much for your best wishes and your kindness. We’re all doing really well thanks to the wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital.”

Though, she did not announce the name of baby-girl yet.

Ardern is scheduled to take six weeks of parental leave before assuming the office, after which her partner Clarke Gayford, a television presenter will become a stay-at-home parent.

She announced her pregnancy just six months after she won the Prime Ministerial elections in October 2017.

Before Ardern, former Pakistan Prime Minister Late Benazir Bhutto was the only woman to have undergone labor while in power. She then gave birth to her now twenty-eight-year-old daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, who had also congratulated Ardren.

Bakhtawar tweeted, “Congratulations to Prime Minister @jacindaardern on the wonderful news”.

Further, Adren’s baby and Benazir Bhutto share common birth date as of June 21.

Adren’s delivery has prompted a debate across New Zealand on the rare incidents when women in power would deliver
kids without giving up on their position.

Benazir had assumed the office a day after giving birth to Bakhtawar silencing her critics demanding an interim government and posing questions as to who would take over her position while she would be in the hospital. (ANI)