Global Women Of Inspiration-Fatima Bhutto

MAG, the weekly-Mar. 07 - 13, 2009


The granddaughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and a niece to Benazir Bhutto, the 26-year-old-poet, writer and social activist on why she refuses to get drawn into the political arena.

You've been brought up as a citizen of the world. How Pakistani do you feel?
It's who I am. I feel Pakistani because I heard its music growing up as a child. I was read ghazals and poetry by my parents. Pakistan is my country and my father's country, but because ultimately it's a place I love.

How much time do you spend there?
I travel all over the world to speak on issues like the media and women in Pakistan, but it's Karachi that I always come home to. It's a city with a great personality - it's always buzzing, it has a pulse. I do travel around Pakistan a lot, especially for my column - there's so much to discover even for those of us who live here.

You're also quite close to India…
I was 16 years old when I first went to Delhi on a school trip. It was amazing - I had the feeling I was somewhere new and at the same time somewhere familiar. People were so kind and friendly towards us, it really dispelled all the stuff we read in the newspapers and all the things our government feed us-that we're different, that we're alien to each other, that we should hate each other. It's all nonsense. We're like siblings - we don't always get along or agree on everything, but there is more that connects us than keeps us apart.

Is peace with India possible?
Absolutely. If it's left to the people - normal Indians and Pakistanis as opposed to our governments, whose job it seems to be keep us apart. India and Pakistan are natural allies. The two countries need more people-to-people contact so we can begin to engage in discussions, dispel myths, build bridges and override the violence of our past.

Pakistan needs more people like…
Abdul Sattar Edhi. He runs the Edhi Foundation in Pakistan which acts as a state should - they run orphanages, women's shelters, asylums, the world's largest ambulance service, and so much more. Edhi and his family come from modest backgrounds and though their foundation takes in million of dollars, their lives have remained the same. They are the one transparent and reliable institution we have.

The world needs more people like…
Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. He's a character with a remarkable sense of ethics and principles in an unprincipled, amoral society.

Which living woman do you most admire?
I know most people if asked would say a family member, but you haven't met my mother Ghinwa. She's a survivor of the Lebanese civil war, and worked in an emergency centre dealing with the wounded when she was just a teenager. She's a writer and an activist, she's tackled violence and injustice in everything she's ever done, and she's a great mother and friend. She should win some kind of award, really!

Why haven't you gone into politics?
I don't believe in perpetuating the cycle of dynastic politics. I don't want to be a symbol - inherited politics is dangerous for the country, and does not cultivate democratic reform. Power never changes hands in Pakistan, only the faces change. I love to write. So that's what I do.

Does democracy stand a chance?
This government has done everything it can to subvert the democratic process. But if we weren't always ruled by civilian or military dictators? Absolutely, yes. It's what the people want and consider their right - to live in a free country.

How does India manage it?
That's a very good question. I think Pakistan has struggled, as most new nations do - there is much ground to be broken, but it takes time. India has succeeded in giving its people a voice in their country's affairs.

What is the position of women in Pakistan?
Like women everywhere, it leaves a lot to be desired. Whether we're talking about women in parts of Europe or in Asia, women still aren't empowered politically and socially the way men are. It's not unique to Pakistan.

Your wish for 2009?
To repeal the National Reconciliation Ordinance - an odious piece of legislation that condones the corruption of politicians and includes a stipulation that makes it impossible to file charges against a sitting parliamentarian. It's the death knell of the judiciary and puts those in power above the law.

Would you ever move?
This is my home. My family is here, my father was killed here. I couldn't imagine leaving it.

What unites Asian women the world over?
The sari. All women look elegant and beautiful in them - they're simply classic. I can't carry off wearing one the way my grandmother Nusrat used to, but I try…