Fatima Bhutto
Encyclopedia
Fatima Bhutto born, Fatima Murtaza Bhutto on 29 May 1982, is a Pakistan
i poet and writer. She is granddaughter of former Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
, the niece of former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto
, and daughter of Murtaza Bhutto
.
She came to fame after the appearance of her first book, a collection of poems, titled Whispers of the Desert. She received notable coverage for her second book, 8:50 a.m. 8 October 2005. She is active in Pakistan's socio-political arena, supporting her stepmother Ghinwa Bhutto's party the Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)
, but has no desire to run for political office.
She currently writes columns for The Daily Beast
, New Statesman
and other publications.
i Sindhi
father and an Afghan
Pashtun mother, in Kabul
, Afghanistan
, while her father Murtaza Bhutto
, the son of former Pakistani President
and Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was in exile during the military regime of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
. Her mother is Fauzia Fasihudin Bhutto, daughter of Afghanistan's former Foreign Affairs official. Her father was killed by the police in 1996 in Karachi
during the premiership of his sister, Benazir Bhutto
. Her parents divorced when she was three years old and Ghinwa Bhutto
became her stepmother in 1989 after Murtaza met her during his exiled stay in Syria. Years later, her mother unsuccessfully attempted to gain parental custody of Fatima.
She lives with her stepmother Ghinwa Bhutto, and her half-brother Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr. They live at the famous residence 70 Clifton Road
in Old Clifton, Karachi
.
, Columbia University
in Manhattan
, USA, after receiving her secondary education at the Karachi American School
. She received a master's degree in South Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies
at the University of London
.
, her entrance into politics has been speculated. She has stated that for now she prefers to remain active through her writing, rather than through elected office. However, she actively supports her mother's chairpersonship of her father's wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party
, which failed to win a single seat in the 2008 elections. She believes in democracy and not birthright politics.
Her latest book is Songs of Blood and Sword : A Daughter's Memoir which is a biography of the Bhutto family, mainly the political account of her father Mir Murtaza Bhutto.
; it records accounts of those affected. She has also written a book of poetry, Whispers in the Desert; a memoir, Songs of Blood and Sword, was published in April 2010.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i poet and writer. She is granddaughter of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
, the niece of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, and daughter of Murtaza Bhutto
Murtaza Bhutto
Dr. Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto was a Pakistani politician and the Member of the Parliament of Pakistan, representing Pakistan People's Party from the Larkana constituency...
.
She came to fame after the appearance of her first book, a collection of poems, titled Whispers of the Desert. She received notable coverage for her second book, 8:50 a.m. 8 October 2005. She is active in Pakistan's socio-political arena, supporting her stepmother Ghinwa Bhutto's party the Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)
Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)
The Pakistan Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan and one of the breakaway factions of the main Pakistan Peoples Party. The party is currently headed by Ghinwa Bhutto, the widow of Murtaza Bhutto....
, but has no desire to run for political office.
She currently writes columns for The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
, New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
and other publications.
Biography
Fatima Bhutto was born to a PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i Sindhi
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
father and an Afghan
Demography of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
Pashtun mother, in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, while her father Murtaza Bhutto
Murtaza Bhutto
Dr. Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto was a Pakistani politician and the Member of the Parliament of Pakistan, representing Pakistan People's Party from the Larkana constituency...
, the son of former Pakistani President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was in exile during the military regime of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , was the 4th Chief Martial Law Administrator and the sixth President of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988...
. Her mother is Fauzia Fasihudin Bhutto, daughter of Afghanistan's former Foreign Affairs official. Her father was killed by the police in 1996 in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
during the premiership of his sister, Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
. Her parents divorced when she was three years old and Ghinwa Bhutto
Ghinwa Bhutto
Ghinwa Bhutto is a politician and the widow of Murtaza Bhutto. She is also the sister-in-law of the late Benazir Bhutto. She is of Syrian-Lebanese origin and is the second wife of Murtaza Bhutto and stepmother of Fatima Bhutto....
became her stepmother in 1989 after Murtaza met her during his exiled stay in Syria. Years later, her mother unsuccessfully attempted to gain parental custody of Fatima.
She lives with her stepmother Ghinwa Bhutto, and her half-brother Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr. They live at the famous residence 70 Clifton Road
Clifton Road
Clifton Road is the main street in the wealthy Clifton neighbourhood of Saddar Town in Karachi, Pakistan. Its name dates from the British Colonial rule...
in Old Clifton, Karachi
Clifton, Karachi
Clifton is one of the neighbourhoods of Saddar Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.-Demographics:There are several ethnic groups in Clifton including Pakhtuns, Muhajirs, Sindhis, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Balochs, Memons, Tanolis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim...
.
Education
Bhutto completed her B.A. degree in Middle Eastern studies from Barnard CollegeBarnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, USA, after receiving her secondary education at the Karachi American School
Karachi American School
The Karachi American School is a Preschool - Grade 12 day school located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. For some time it was called "International School of Karachi", but now is called Karachi American School....
. She received a master's degree in South Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
.
Politics
Following the assassination of her aunt, Benazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, her entrance into politics has been speculated. She has stated that for now she prefers to remain active through her writing, rather than through elected office. However, she actively supports her mother's chairpersonship of her father's wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)
The Pakistan Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan and one of the breakaway factions of the main Pakistan Peoples Party. The party is currently headed by Ghinwa Bhutto, the widow of Murtaza Bhutto....
, which failed to win a single seat in the 2008 elections. She believes in democracy and not birthright politics.
Her latest book is Songs of Blood and Sword : A Daughter's Memoir which is a biography of the Bhutto family, mainly the political account of her father Mir Murtaza Bhutto.
Publications
The title of Bhutto's book 8.50 a.m. 8 October 2005 marks the moment of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
; it records accounts of those affected. She has also written a book of poetry, Whispers in the Desert; a memoir, Songs of Blood and Sword, was published in April 2010.
See also
- Bhutto familyBhutto familyThe Bhutto family is a political family in Pakistan. Bhutto is a Rajput tribe settled in Sindh.-List of family members:* Pir Bakhsh Bhutto* * Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto, Ameer Bakhsh Bhutto, Illahi Bux Bhutto...
- Politics of PakistanPolitics of PakistanPolitics of Pakistan have taken place in the framework of a federal republic, where the system of government has at times been parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential. In the current parliamentary system, the President of Pakistan is the largely ceremonial head of state, the Prime...
- Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto)The Pakistan Peoples Party is a political party in Pakistan and one of the breakaway factions of the main Pakistan Peoples Party. The party is currently headed by Ghinwa Bhutto, the widow of Murtaza Bhutto....
- List of Pakistani writers
External links
- Official Fatima Bhutto Website
- Fatima Bhutto: Living on the Edge by William Dalrymple for the Times Online, 18 May 2008
- Fatima Bhutto on Her Memoir, Songs of Blood and Sword