Fatima Bhutto launches her memoir

Staff Report

KARACHI: The book ‘Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter’s Memoir’ written by Fatima Bhutto, daughter of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, was launched on Tuesday.

This was the first time after the assassination of Fatima’s father on September 20, 1996 that she made a public statement on how her life had transformed following the brutal killing of her father and six of his friends. The ceremony was organised at the Clifton Park on the road where Mir Murtaza was assassinated, and was attended by politicians, foreign diplomats, intellectuals, journalists and civil society members.

Prominent attendees included Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto group) Chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto, Sardar Mumtaz Bhutto, Sardar Sher Baz Mazari, Ghaus Bux Maher, Ilahi Bux Soomro, Yousaf Masti Khan and Meraj Muhammad Khan, as well as diplomats and honorary consul generals of Afghanistan, Mauritius, Romania, Cuba and Morocco.

Fatima arrived at the ceremony with her younger brother Zulfikar Junior, and relatives of her father’s associates, who were murdered during the same incident, were also present at the ceremony. She was introduced at the ceremony as the daughter who rose higher than her father’s expectations when he had asked her to write about his life. She said her father had asked her to write about his life’s experiences, something he could not do himself due to the fear of being killed.

She lashed out at those at the helm of affairs of the state and said, those who had orchestrated her father’s killing were among the rulers. “There are people who will go to no end to put a stop to this book,” she added. She complained that the policemen responsible for her father’s assassination had been conferred medals for their bravery. She lamented that her family’s name and history had been hijacked.

She explained that the title of the book came from a poem that was written by leftist Iranian poet Khosrow Golsorkhi, who was persecuted and hanged by the Shah of Iran for his stand against corruption and hypocrisy.


Source:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\31\story_31-3-2010_pg12_4