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Fact or fiction?
Is she just a sad child mourning her father? Is she a young woman angry with a cruel and unjust system and pointing...
The writer is author of Military Inc. and a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, US (ayesha.siddiqa@tribune.com.pk)
Is she just a sad child mourning her father? Is she a young woman angry with a cruel and unjust system and pointing out its faults? Is she the future of Pakistan’s politics? Or is she part of fiction being written by a hidden hand for the future of Pakistan, but made to look like fact?
These are some of the questions that come to mind when observing Fatima Bhutto.
Answering these questions, in any case, are difficult in an environment where telling fact from fiction has become tedious. Fatima Bhutto is certainly trying to create an alternative narrative which may one day lead her to power. She doesn’t seem alone in her effort but seems to be helped by important people who introduce her to policy-making circles in the US and other capitals of the world. Fatima, these people believe, is the future of the PPP. But then she denies having any desire for power.
Murtaza Bhutto’s daughter says she does not want to follow her aunt Benazir Bhutto and become a part of dynastic politics. One is tempted to feel tenderly towards the young lady who probably has little knowledge of how dynastic politics operate. The magic is not just in the name but in a person’s ability to connect with people and become a force which can deliver, though imperfectly. She probably doesn’t realise that it was not her father or uncle or even her sole surviving aunt who represented Bhutto’s legacy.
It was Benazir Bhutto alone, who, for the people, represents the legacy of political empowerment. Had dynastic politics been as Fatima imagines, the people of Larkana would have obliged Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr and voted for Ghinwa particularly after Benazir’s death. People connect with Benazir Bhutto — the woman who went to jail, led processions and went on hunger strikes during General Zia’s dictatorship.
This was the time when Fatima’s father was busy creating his imagined revolution. Perhaps, she echoes the anger and disappointment of her father who could not displace his sister after he returned to the country. Murtaza Bhutto never regained sanity and was a liability for the government and the local bureaucracy. Surely, Fatima is mistaken when she sees him as a victim. But Murtaza’s daughter is certainly no simpleton. She is consciously part of the fiction which is being created around her: a young Bhutto who denounces dynastic politics and disagrees with all that her aunt stood for.
At home in Karachi, she uses her Bhutto name and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s relics to draw the intelligentsia and local and foreign media into a conversation. Despite all her rhetoric about democracy and shunning of elite politics, she is a symbol of that very system. Hopefully, Fatima realises that people are attracted into a conversation with her not just due to her pretty face and demeanour but because of her brand name. Unfortunately, she is party to the nefarious plan to replace the memory of Bhuttos that many amongst the elite would like to hate.
The older Bhutto and his daughter represent a political legacy that no one may be able to replicate. Both Bhuttos were similar. The British High Commissioner in Pakistan during the mid-1960s, Sir James Morrice, described the older Bhutto as “a lucifer, a flawed angel”. But both the father and daughter were like Marlowe’s Dr Faustus — victims of their own intellect.
Nevertheless, they are remembered for their ability to connect with ordinary people. What distinguishes Benazir from other leaders including female political icons such as Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher is her ability to keep the woman in her alive. More importantly, she was a doting mother and a kind aunt who facilitated Sassui Bhutto’s US citizenship, and her studies there.
Benazir even reached out to Fatima despite the latter’s anger. At this juncture, one can sympathise with Fatima and advise her not to build her fame on the dead body of her aunt.
Reader Comments (22)
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She does reach out in to the hearts and minds of our young elites whose world is far removed from reality. After all, remember how facebook lit up with rumours that Fatima Bhutto was going to date George Clooney? Now that resonated with everyone!Recommend
hmmm who is that hidden hand writing this fiction?Recommend
It was so sad to hear her saying to indian channel that benazir was cruel.i m not from ppp or a benazir supporter but if someone say about her dead aunt that she was cruel is disgusting.
so many people has lost their parents or loved one in pakisatn due to security problems n terrorism ,even benazir children lost their great mother,i think fatima is not moving on in life.look at rajiv gandhi’s daughter she went to prison to meet her father’s killer n forgive.I find it realy wrong that she keep accusing her aunt while benazir herself was killed n had a tragic death.she even accused benazir on british n indian channels for killing sahnawaz.its simply disgusting.Recommend
Dr Ayesha has never failed to impress me. She has rightly pointed out that BB was not a leader because of her father, she was a leader due to her own struggle. Murtaza Bhutto thought it was his right as a man and Fatima Bhutto resented that her family property (i.e. government) had gone to her aunt.
Wake up Fatima! Your aunt’s politics did not revolve around anger against you! We think you are too bright to stoop to that level. Our well wishes are with you.Recommend
Fatima lives in the past. Though, present still wears some vestiges of the yore years but future definitely does not belong to such gimmicks. Pakistani people in no way are same as they were in 50’s to 60’s. Change embraced them in late 60’s and geared up the process since mid 80’s particularly in the wake of media revolution. Nevertheless, political awareness is now coupled with economic and social developments at home mainly under the influence of fast changing world scenario. Popular politics does not have much future. Huge middle class already in existence and even common poor masses will ask for convincing recipe for remedies of their minimum wants and would demand tangible results.
Where is the alternative? What are the substitute policies and that also reflecting world kaleidoscope?
Challenge is real, and sleepy and dreamy (would-be) rulers must reckon the present and future facts, if they do not like to live in fool’s paradise.Recommend
Fatima, this article is a true prescription for you to become an admirable politician and also may work as an energatic dozier for you.politics is to serve the people and to redress their grievances.it is not just to maintain a particular label.Recommend
She clever and articulate and very easy on the eye and, best of all, she has the name. She can go as far as she wants to, “hidden hand” or no. Yet I fear if she should ever come to power she will surround herself with the most incompetent and corrupt people, listen to no one and self-destruct.Recommend
As the last surviving child of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, I feel a sense of obligation to respond to some of the allegations made by my niece Fatima Bhutto in her recently published book Songs of Blood and Sword.
Specifically, I want to concur with the views expressed by my cousin, my father’s nephew Tariq Islam, in his April 22 letter to Dawn.
In a book so riddled with fabrications and distortions that it is more a fictional delusion than a historical memoir, Fatima Bhutto states that my father, from his death cell, sent his two sons, my beloved brothers Mir and Shahnawaz, off to Afghanistan to establish a terrorist cell by which to wage war on Ziaul Haq.
Tariq Islam, from his first-hand knowledge and direct dealings and conversations with my father, refutes Fatima’s charge. I can firmly and unambiguously agree with him and support Tariq’s description of events as presented in his letter to Dawn. My father, from his jail cell, quite directly and forcefully ordered all four of his children to return to school and finish our educations.
My parents put us on a plane and told us no matter what happens we were to stay on board until it left and return to our universities.
My father never told any of us, his sons or his daughters, to start a terrorist wing, to hijack planes, to murder passengers or to be violent in any way.
My sister, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, chose to avenge his death through the ballot (”democracy is the greatest revenge”) and my brothers may have chosen a different path, but the wishes of my parents were quite clear.
My sister always said that our family should not blame Fatima for the outrageous accusations she makes against us. Benazir said: “Don’t blame the child, blame those who poison her.”
But Fatima Bhutto is not a child any more, she is a grown-up woman and at some point we must be held accountable for what we do and what we say. Her book is an assault on my family, on reality and, above all, on the truth.
My niece would be wise to recall and live by the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson that my father quoted to us in his last letter from his death cell: “Ah what shall I be at 50 if I find the world so bitter at 25.”
SANAM BHUTTO
London
SourceRecommend
Fatima is playing in the hands of establishment which is trying to create a rift amongst PPP fan club. People has voted and would vote for Benazir because she lived a Brave life and died as martyr.Recommend
not sure what is fabrication in Fatima’s book .. Does Sanam Bhutto or Ayesha wants the people to turn blind eye to what BB did? Can someone point to exactly what they r referring to “distortions” in Fatima’s book?Recommend
Though Fatima Bhutto made an early appearance or was brought by her masterminds in the scene earlier than expectations, but we cannot ignore the fact that Asif Zardari’s children are also going to join in the race for reaping the benefits of Bhutto brand very soon.
The dynastic politics of Pakistan, in the coming years, is going to witness a cruel war that may leave no one in a position to rule the PPP (or PPPP) luxuriously.
Seems as if a chess board has already been laid with all the pieces of the game placed for a ruthless battle. Jiyalas are going to get anything out of it like the past decades.Recommend
Two very reasonable persons (NFP and Aysha Siddiqa) have critically commented on this book I have not gone through. But I did see her on tv mostly foreign chs and read her writtings and found no reason to disagree with Dr. Aysha and NFP. If Fatima wants to do any good for people then she must come out of this bitterness to have a clear view of the real world around her. She must realize that BB shaheed’s path to outcast dictator was the best one. She did it not just once but twice. Fatima is young and energatic, and I believe, if she can get rid of these alif lelas she has been fed on for years, she can help the poor helpless people of Pakistan. Same crime for which her grand father and Aunt gave their lives. Empowering people is the cause she must fight for.Recommend
The truth is, before it was the faceoff between BB and Murtaza bhutto and now those two being dead, there is going to be a clash between Bilawal and Fatima.Thats it. thats wat paksitani politics is all about.Dynastic Politics. That was the fate of Paksitan and that will remain the fate of Pakistan no matter what. Real democracy,”of the people,by the people,for the people” kind , will never be established.Recommend
I have sympathy for Fatima,but if she wants to be in Pakistani politics,she should try to analyse the mistakes of her mother’s party 1.Ghinwa fought election against Nusrat Bhutto.
2.The most notorious person in the family[Like Kaidoo of our folk tale]and one of the worst wadera of Sindh Mumtaz Bhutto became the gaurdian of this orphan and widow party.
3.Fatima should mobilize her own sources and international contacts to do something for poor masses of Larkana at least.
4.Forgive B.B.as many of her flaws/compromised have been condoned by her opponents at least in public.
5.Some shameless ministers of PPP earnest for sinking the boat of party will provide Fatima many chances to survive.Recommend
i remebere BB’s word ” murtaz was not kill by bullet but by not doing operation on time and he died after 3 hrour of receving bullet .” persons like ali soonara were on pay roll .some persons were also present in unifoam on pay roll. Fatima made same mistake as by murtaza.first he was not choose right path and then try to take over party by joinning hand with Farooq Laghari and third party come in action . Fatima must come out from hostage and stop Criticizing the icon of ppp and wait for her timeRecommend
A very thought provoking articly by Ayesha Siddiqa, but I would say whatever Fatima Bhutto is continuously saying since long time against her aunty is only because she has been brainwashed by Shaheed BB opponents and also because she saw tragic death of her father Murtaza Bhutto. Fatima is too young she is born in 80s, she had never been eye witnessed of our cruel politics as our generation has seen. People of Pakistan had loved Shaheed Benazir Bhutto despite many differences.Fatima Bhutto should realised this fact. She is now a matured lady, she should understand the ground realities. Secondly my opinion is that our agencies and the greatest Pakistani establishment is also behind this. They are acheiving their goal to malign PPP and Shaheed Benazir through Fatima Bhutto.Recommend
Fatima Bhutto politics aint ur cup of tea!!Recommend
excellent analysis.how come fatima blames benazir for shahnawaz death ?didnt she know how she brought shah’s body 4 burial in larkana despite life threats 4m zia regime.i respected fatima as a young,toughtful writer but not any more.she has distorted the facts 4 her own publicity .what a shame!Recommend
Fatima Bhutto’s appearance on the horizon dynastic politics in Pakistan could be a game of chess for which a rather bigger board has already been laid. Her charismatic, graceful and charming personality is going to be used, by the forces who always remain in mystery, in a fierce battle within the sphere of Pakistan People’s Party.
It is now up to the calibre of Asif Zardari as to how he moves his pieces to avoid a checkmate in the coming years.
It would be a wise step by Asif Zardari to let Fatima Bhutto occupy her space in current People’s Party with mutual understanding, otherwise nothing may be left for either of the quarters.
The players are bent upon defeating Asif Zardari with a checkmate move through a pawn i.e. Fatima Bhutto.
Watch out the game.Recommend
may i ask mr.salik,what contribution ms.fatima and her parents have made 4 the ppp led by mr.zardari.infact,they were hell bent on maligning and destroying what was left of ZAB’s ppp.honestly speaking,ppp is not a property 4m which ms.fatima would get her ”share”.this ppp is more of benazir’s party then that of ZAB’s.there would have been no ppp ,had there been no benazir.it was her sheer hard work that made it the biggest party of pakistan.she was languishing in jail when ms.fatima’s father was enjoying luxurious life ,first in kabul and then in syria,where he was a state guest.benazir stayed with ppp poor workers in pakistan,facing the brutal torture of zia regime.where was his father then?having ”affairs” with foreign women?getting married ?not once but twice?Recommend
she can not be benazir bhutto.she is arrogant.Recommend
i second the opinion of ms saadia as she has put the facts right.i wonder how low an educated person like fatima can go in order to malign others. she has distorted facts in her book and her articles lack objectivity.thats why she shies away from pakistani media since the launch of her book.she has given no interview 2 any pakistani channel.an excellent analysis by ayesha siddqa.Recommend