Fatima Bhutto’s Farewell to Benazir
January 3, 2008
‘My Family Has Lost Enough‘, writes Fatima Bhutto in her farewell to ‘Wadi Bua’.
Larkana — My aunt and I had a complicated relationship. That is the truth, the sad truth. The last fifteen years were not one we spent as friends or as relatives, that is also the truth. But this week, I too want to remember her differently. I want to remember her differently because I must. I can’t lose faith in this country, my home. I can’t believe that it was for nothing, that violence in its purest form is so cruel and so unforgiving. I can’t accept that this is what we have come to. So, I must offer a farewell. One that is written in tears and anger but one that comes from a place far away, from the realm of memory and forgiving–a place where at another time, we might have all been safe. As a child, I used to call my aunt Wadi Bua, Sindhi for father’s older sister.
When I got the news, I was told that something had happened to Wadi Bua. It was an expression I hadn’t heard or used in a very long time, when I heard it said to me over the phone I remembered someone different.
We used to read children’s books together. We used to like exactly the same sweets–sugared chestnuts and candied apples. We used to get the same ear infections, ear infections that tortured us and plagued us throughout the years.
I have never before written an article that seemed so impossible. We were very different. Though people liked to compare us, almost instinctively, because well, they could. It is difficult for me to write about two people, one in the present tense and one in the past, at the same time.
Especially when one person’s passing makes the other one wonder whether there is a cusp to things and whether or not there really is a past and present to life.
I never agreed with her politics. I never did. I never agreed with those she kept around her, the political opportunists, hanger-ons, them. They repulse me.
I never agreed with her version of events. Never. But in death, in death perhaps there is a moment to call for calm. To say, enough. We have had enough. We cannot, and we will not, take anymore madness.
I mourn because my family has had enough. I mourn for Bilawal, Bakhtawar, and Asifa. I mourn for them because I too lost a parent. I know what it feels like to be lost and left at sea, unanchored and afraid.
I mourn for the workers of the party, those who have been bereaved of their own loved ones in this tragedy.
When congregants gather in a church, temple, or mosque they offer prayers for those that reside beyond. The congregants sing to the heavens and they offer the divine their hymns of sadness and hope. There are no hymns consisting of frustration or anger–this too shall pass, they say, remember that. What hymns do we sing now?
In those hymns, there is hope encapsulated in the sadness. There is a lingering sense that after darkness a dawn will rise. What then do we have to be hopeful for? And how do we proceed to wake the dawn?
I have always been honest with you, I promised that to you at the beginning. Honestly, I am at a loss. I am compounded in a state of shock.
I am in shock because I have yet to bury a loved one who has died from natural causes. Four. That’s the number of family members, immediate family members, whom we have laid to rest, all victims of senseless, senseless killing.
I was born five years after my grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s assassination. I was born into the void of his absence and for my father, Murtaza, I was a new chance at life. I grew up hearing my grandfather’s speeches, watching him on old black and white video cassettes, enamoured at his every word. My father was a young man when his father was killed and it was something he carried with him every second, every minute for the rest of his life.
I was three when my uncle Shahnawaz was murdered. I remember Wadi Bua sitting with me and telling me stories while the rest of the family was with the police.
When I was fourteen, my life was ended. I lost my heart and soul, my father Murtaza. I am and have been since then a shell of the person I was. I suppose there are cusps in life, and thank god for that because that way we can stay in between.
And now at twenty five, Wadi. But this isn’t about me, it’s about those whom we have lost. It’s about the graveyard at Garhi Khuda Bux that is just too full.
I pray that this is the last, that from this moment onwards we will no longer have to bid farewell too quickly.
Wadi, farewell.
Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani poet and writer. She is the daughter of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was killed in 1996 in Karachi when his sister, Benazir, was prime minister.
Why not Fatima Bhutto, Why Bilawal Zardari
Dear Sir,
Benazir Bhutto’s death was a tragedy in Pakistan’s History. Her death affected all Pakistan’s politics. It was a sad and black day in Pakistan’s history.
The question of inheritance to Banazir died before it appear. The credit goes to Asif Zardari. He didnt left the party leadership to think about the leadership. He came out with claim that he has Benazir’s will and later announced that Benazir pleaded her party leaders to accept Zardari as the chairman of PPP. Later Zardari announced that he wish their son Bilawal Zardari to be appointed as party chairman. A school boy of 19 years was appointed as chairman of the biggest political party of Pakistan.
There were many faces in PPP who could lead the party. Amin Mukhdom Fahim was running PPP for almost eight years when Benazir was in exile and he could the party in future. There was another name Barrister Aitzaz Hassan, who got international fame after following chief justice case. He was the person, who was always giving his support and professional advices to PPP. But Zardari suddenly called party meeting and asked party leaders to authorise his wish for Bilawal Zardari as a party chairman.
Later Bilawal Zardari name was changed to Bilawal Bhutto. The party leadership has accepted it becuase it was very hard time for them as well as for Zardari after the tragic death of Beazir. But the question is whether the party workers will accept him as chairmanor not. The party workers will realise with the time that the decison was wrong in every sense. If the leadership was supposed to go to Bhutto’s family, then why doesnt PPP accept Fatima Bhutto as their chairperson, who doesnt need to change her surname.
Fatima Bhutto is the real successor of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She is the right person in every sense to lead the party. She is a well known name in the country. She has proved to the people of Pakistan that she has got every skill to lead the party and to lead the country. She is mature person, not like 19 year old Bilawal.
She is loved by every one is Larkana. She is known to Larkana while Bilawal and Asif Zardari are strangers in Larkana. They are not welcome in Larkana.
Infact Zardari has already done great damages to PPP. Every single person know in the country that Zardari is a corrupt and untrustworthy person. He is infamous person. He is widely known as mr ten percent throughout the world. He spent nearly ten years in prisons on corruption charges. It is alleged that he has looted the treasury for more than $1.5 billion. He faces inquiry in Britain and was convicted by Swiss court for money laundering. It is strongly believed that Zardari was behind the martyrdom of Murtaza Bhutto. He conspired his death.
Fatima Bhutto can provide unity to the party, as she is the real blood of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while Bilawal is not. She doesnt need to change her surname to inherit. She is native speaker of the country while Bilawal is not. She has spent her life among the common people of Pakistan while Bilawal was living in luxuries. She understand the suffering of common people of Pakistan while Bilawal doesnt. She knows what people want while Bilawal doesnt have any idea of common people. She has experience of life while Bilawal doesnt have any experience of life. She is established writer, columnist and political commentator while Bilawal will need to spend years in Oxford to learn what politics is. She is considered to be a true and pure blood of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while Bilawal is a true and pure blood of Hakim Ali Zardari.
Let the emotions subside and the true question of inheritance will come out of the heart of PPP workers. They will have to make the decision. This is the time of emotions after the death of Benazir. I have heard many Pakistanis that they will not accept Bilawal but they will welcome Fatima Bhutto.
Thanks a lot
Syed Habib Orakzai
London, England
Though its not nice to speak ill of those passed away BB was an unwelcome Negroponte Doctrine plant who let herself be deliberatly used to turn Pakistan into a Colombia.
She would have been the Western acceptable face of a facade of democracy whilst the Military would have done the work of killing their own citizens unabated.And she even cut a deal with the State department to the extent she would “not mind” allowing using Troops to operate in the country.
She stole much of Pakistans wealth the first time round and would have done much the same again the second.
We have to remember the very pertinent point that she was exiled from Pakistan because she had pending corruption cases against her.The only time she has appeared in court to answer corruption charges was in Switzerland where she was found guilty , and then had the Gall to accuse the Swiss court as being “politically motivated” , as common get out clause used by politicians to get out of answering charges used by corrupt politicians that work in the under-resourced court system in Pakistan.
Though Fatima writes good articles , one would be hard pressed to say she understands the plight of the common person.
Despite the image they enjoy in the West , the PPP are a feudal landlord party , so it is no surprise that the largest Feudal Landlord block in the party have taken control.
Zardari was in control anyway , what has happend now in a process of formalisation.
The PPP needs less “inherting” Bhuttos and must find a meritocracy route to be truely representative of Pakistans interests , the very fact that they are stepped in Feudalism means the are simply unqualified to do this.
Dear M.IDREES
hope u r fine along with ur sweet family. my name is irfan mujtaba mir and i am kashmir (india).sir i like this two stories.sir i am a little fan of fatima bhutto.please and please give me the email id of fatima bhutto that will be ur most kindness.
My email id is
1.smartirfan007@yahoo.com
2.ghazitraders86@yahoo.com
sir plz and plz .allaha aap ke her naik muraad poree karay
Dear Irfan
Fatima Bhutto’s email address is fatima.bhutto@gmail.com
All the best.