Fatima Bhutto and her songs of Blood, Sword and Fairytale -by Suleman Akhtar
She was beautiful, she was eloquent, she was vivid, she was witty – while orating at the occasion of Sydney Writers’ Festival – In the same breath she was naïve, she was hollow, she was flimsy, she was juvenile.
Seemingly, she is not yet out of trauma of her beloved father’s death and this, unfortunately, has become undistinguishable part of her personality to involve the personal run-ins whilst speculating about national issues. The recent delivered speech clearly epitomizes what was the emblem of her book – ‘Songs of Blood and Sword’ published in April, 2010- i.e. selective amnesia and fiction in absence of fact.
The speech starts with the popular state propagated narrative of politicians’ bashing and she makes no mistake by picking out her very near and dear punching bag Asif Ali Zardari whom she terms as Mr. 10%, Mr. 50%, Mr. 110% where the appellations are associated with last three terms of PPP. There was not a single utterance of the fact that the man had spent eleven precious years of his life behind the bars and not even a single corruption charge could be proved despite the tedious efforts of his foes in civil as well as military establishment. And then the much anticipated NRO claptrap where she, like always, misses out the point that same ordinance became the basis of return of two exiled leaders to Pakistan and paved way for the revival of much needed democracy by doing away with the legal implications of decades long political victimization. No wonders the indoctrination is the reflection of her memories of her father given the family differences of Bhutto clan that she stated in her book here and there. As for an instance she rewrites a poem written to her by her father:
“Here is a small one on Wadi [Benazir] and Slippery Joe [presumably Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir’s husband]Inky, Pinky, Ponky
Her husband is a donkey
Both loot the country
Her husband is a monkey
Inky, Pinky, Ponky.”
Aside from the political rants the most unscrupulous account of the speech is associated with national security issues where she conveniently displays blatant dishonesty by parroting the rhetoric of distant observers and likes of Tariq Ali and other armchair leftists who seem to be unaware of iota of ground realities. She handily portrays drones as an evil entity and the only reason of dissemination of militancy and terrorism by effusively pointing out the 52 drone attacks during the months of 2010 when Pakistan was suffering from one of the most calamitous natural disaster of history. What she wholly missed out was that during the same months the monsters killed around 500 innocent citizens in terrorist attacks waged across the country.
To further predicate her apprehension she mentions a report “Do Targeted Killings Work?” released by Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The report claims that “for every militant killed, 10 or so civilians also died” without providing any source of information and statistical data. That was another glaring example of her selective amnesia. Had she slightly interested in getting the whole picture instead of relying on the reports that further reinforce her convenient inclination, she could have easily accessed the local media reports that show the consent of locals of FATA over the Drones. As far as statistics and facts are concerned she could have considered the following reports that provide the data of militants killed in Drone strikes and certainly are not in line with her dishonest hypothesis and fondness of fiction instead of facts.
The Year of the Drone Drone attacks — a survey New Light on the Accuracy of the CIA’s Predator Drone Campaign in PakistanAnd then comes the most fraudulent anecdote on her part in which she intermingles the disappearance of Baloch activists with the ‘war on terror’ and states the misery of Baloch people as the ultimate consequence of Pakistan’s engagement with the war. This is the narrative what may leave anyone who has even a slightest idea of the situation of Baloch people stunned. She could have further explained what the annihilation of Baloch intellectuals has anything to do with war on terror? How the abductions and extra-judicial killings of Baloch activists are related to Pakistan’s engagement with the war against terrorism? How would she vindicate the selective obliteration of Hazara Shias in Quetta who are being massacred by virtue of being associated with a particular sect? Would she term Professor Saba Dashtyari, Habib Jalib Baloch, Safeer Baloch, Faiz Muhammad Marri, Arif Noor and hundreds of unnamed and unrecognized bullet riddled bodies as American Agents who paid the heavy price of their lives in the lanes of truth and freedom? Why wasn’t there even a single intimation of our heroic security agencies and mighty army who have blood of hundreds of thousands of Bengalis and Baloch on their hands?
There is always a fine thin line between fact and fiction and one falls prey to lose the sight of truth if hides ones personal repugnance behind the cloak of fiction in lieu of withstanding the facts. This is what the speech was all about –the fiction that has evolved as the unannounced national dogma lately and is taking its toll by transforming not only those who are susceptible to get influenced by crooked state propagated narrative but also resourceful educated elite into apologists of militancy and suppression.
Thanks for exposing this dishonest opportunist. Her lies have been exposed, time and time again, but it seems that she has support from high up in the ISI.
Didn’t Murtaza Bhutto slap Zardari and shaved his ugly stache?
LOL, I know this is the only reson PPP toadies hate Fatima!!!
Mai Kolachi my @$$ more like Mai Mukhtataran after Zardari is done with you!
excellent post. this woman who calls herself a writer, historian , poet and journalist has lost all her credibility.INFACT,its her pretty looks and her last name that z keeping her in the news. in early years of her journalist career, she was said 2 be a ”harsh” critic of benazir. after benazir’s death , she build her fame on the dead body of her aunt. i donot understand why is she given such a huge publicity. she aint have the guts 2 speak 2 local media about her book . moreover, she seems obsessed with zardari. there z hardly an article where she hasnt mentioned his name.also, i have noticed one thing more,fatima bhutto has never blamed army, agencies 4 extra-judicial killings in pakistan. she twists the facts 2 her own whims and caprices. what she said about situation in balochistan is utter nonsense. ITS PAINFUL 2 SEE HOW LOW PEOPLE , LIKE FATIMA BHUTTO, CAN GO WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DONOT KNOW WHAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH. she is definitely playing in the hands OF ESTABLISHMENT fatima is involved in a dirty campaign againt benazir and her family .its pathetic that this so-called journalist settles her intra-family scores in public domain. she uses her last name 2 pubish ‘rubbish’ in foreign newspapers. it angers me that ‘people’ like fatima bhutto seem entitled 2 represent pakistan 2 the world while the only people they should be representing z themselves . she sits in air conditioned rooms of western media and talks about pakistan onthe verge of a nervous break down. what contribution z this rich feudal lady making 2 change the lot of poor people of pakitan? MS FATIMA BHUTTO, U R ALSO A CORRUPT PERSON who has distorted the facts about pakistan, its history and people. U R ENTITLED 2 UR OWN OPINION BUT NOT TO UR OWN FACTS .tranperancy and honesty r the 2 virtues absent in u. infact, u r also apologist of taliban and pakistani establishment. OUT AND OUT LIES 2 BOLSTER UR ARGUMENTS R PATHETIC.
unfortunately , fatima has nothing new 2 offer. her analysis of situation in pakistan revolves around one man,zardari.she blames him 4 every wrong doing in the country. she never appreciates anything good done by ppp government like 18th amendment, NFC awards,sawat operation, strict stance against extremist etc. its very naive of her that she keeps referring zardari as an ”unelected” president.she comes across as a bitter person who lives in the past.infact,she z blinded by her hatred 2wards benazir and her family.if she z such a good analyst why aint she appears on our local tv channels 2 give her point of view ? simply because she will be ”exposed” in front of the home audience. she z enjoying recently earned fame by publishing a book of lies. she has earned millions of pounds by corrupting our history. thats why in her own view, people in pakistan considers her enemy no :1.
Self centred juvenille addicted to “hate everybody” drug. She is some strange woman or girl who had affairs with some renowned hollywood stars like George Clooney but she is giving us lectures on morality & honesty. She is morally corrupt herself.
Expose Jew TV’s tax theft, arrest Geo TV directors.
Much like the accusations levelled in this article it also feels as if the author is sorting out his own biases and completely rejecting left-wingers, drone-haters and anti-zardari’s from having any important point of view. While I may not be Fatima Bhutto’s biggest fan I have to say that this is a weakly written attack back that is not even closely as substantially backed as it likes to believe and preach.
She does have a point that has been missed in finger pointing on both sides. and if this blog aim’s to ‘build Pakistan’ then it completely misses the point.
@Saira, can you be specific where Suleman is sorting out his own biases and not effectively countering the lies spewed by Fatima Bhutto?
i donot think that the writer of this post z biased 2wards fatima bhutto. infact, he has quoted facts here.drones have killed pakistan’s most wanted terrorists like, baitullah mehsud and illyas kashmiri. these terrorist have killed hundreds of innocent pakistani men , women and children.had these ‘monsters’ not been ‘targeted’ by the drones,many more innocent lives would have been lost in the terrorist acts. why ms.fatima always fail to mention the death of mehsud in the drone strikes, who z also responsible 4 killing her aunt,benazir bhutto. why she keeps maligning pakistani politician in the western media. its true corruption z rampant in all institutions of our country. but why her target z always politicans. (not to forget her favourite punching bag, president zardari and ”mrs.zardari”(benazir bhutto).why she never mentions the corrupt practices of army, agencies and media groups.why not start 4m her very ‘own’ jang group of publications). she criticises judiciary 4 not being ”independent” and failing to provide justice. my question 2 ms.fatima z, isn’t it the same judiciary in which she reposed her ”confidence” while writing a letter 2 the honourable CHIEF JUSTICE OF PAKISTAN in order 2 bring her ailing grandmother,nusrat bhutto, back 2 ghinwa’s family as nusrat’s only surviving daughter sanam bhutto is not ”interested ” and emotionally & financially ”fit” 2 look after her ”own” mother. (after reading fatima’s letter 2 CJP, unfortunately,i have no doubt in my mind that (god forbid) if any thing happens 2 nusrat bhutto, ms.fatima has already prepared her case 2 accuse her late aunt benazir of murdering a 3rd bhutto,that is ,her own mother .not to forget that benazir was very close 2 nusrat bhutto and looked after her very well as narrated by her close friends and ‘relatives’ who frequently visited her place 2 meet her). moreover, i am disgusted” 2 hear ms.fatima linking the trauma of BALOCH people with the war on terror. noone needs a Ph.D degree 2 understand whats going on in the troubled region of balochistan. who is behind the killing of baloch people and why. it seems ms. fatima is either afraid of the agencies or she has become a tool in their hands.what ever the reasons behind her blantant lies, one thing is clear like crystal, THAT WHATEVER FATIMA BHUTTO SAYS AND WRITES IS ANYTHING BUT THE”TRUTH”. and last but not the least, fatima bhutto is not just a bitter and least forgiving person but she z a pessimist too. she has nothing good or positive to say about pakistan at the international forums. her writings are too self-centred, too myopic, and much too general. unfortunaltely, these r some of the ”facts” about ms.fatima bhutto’s ”ALLIF LAILA” version of pakistan’s history, including that of her family.
looks like all the above posts are by PPP workers 😀 lovers of BB, and her beloved husband zardari. You all are probably forgetting the fact that she was a corrupt politician and so is her husband. she is some what responsible for her brother’s death and you all love her? i don’t support fatima bhutto but you must realize that her father got killed in the worst way under his sis’s rule? and his sis BB din’t do anything about it. how can a daughter forget that? and about zardari, remember when pakistan was facing the worst disaster of his history HE WAS VISITING HIS MANSION in france and was on a family vaction. everyone said at that time including CNN and other foreign papers that he is completely unconcerned abt his country. and you all are supporting him against Fatima bhutto?
lol, you guys are just amazing! Funny too of course!
If in this day and age, anyone of you think that Zardari, or late BB, or any of the famous politicians were ever loyal to the country, then my friend, how stupid can you be?!!!
Why is it even a discussion? In fact, whenever I see any support for these politicians coming from regular people (assuming you guys are regular citizens of Pakistan), I am assured of why we are the best nation in the world! get it?!
Pakistanis have unfortunately set very low standards for the moral characters of their elected leaders. What the author considers “naïve, flimsy, juvenile” is his/her attempt to term an ideologue, which by Pakistani standards is now considered irrelevant and impossible trait but actually a norm in progressive societies.
Although, the author cannot be wholly blamed for his/her view that ground realities should dictate the kind of depressed and dark views people SHOULD have but rather the result of the environment that he/she decomposes in.
The writer seems to be an apologist for drone attacks. Does he have any idea of something established by human civilization long ago? That something was for no person to be condemned without a trial. In fact the accuser has to prove his accusations before an unbiased body and the punishment to be awarded if any cannot be arbitrary or random. In the case of ‘drone’ murders, somebody acts as the accuser, the judge, the jury and the executioner all in one(not talking of collateral killings). Are we heading towards a higher civilization or losing what we already had in the name of the ‘war on terror’? It is a shameful face of humanity on public display!
Good to see this article on express tribune blogs. Well done Suleman
Clearly comments posted by Samera, Nazar Amir and Gia are written by one person. Some PPP supporter is trying to show that the party still has support from the public, which it quite obviously doesn’t; given the highly unprecedented damage the party has caused to the country.
Tremendous issues here. I’m very satisfied to look your article. Thank you a lot and I’m having a look ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?