Source: Telegraph
By Jemima Khan
Death duties are being reformed in this country and the upper limit extended. They don’t come more onerous than those left to Bilawal Bhutto, né Zardari. Many Oxford undergraduates consider a career in politics; few are handed a political party, a new name and the statistical probability that you’re not going to die of old age, in bed.
Benazir Bhutto’s 19-year-old son and heir will lead the PPP into the upcoming elections, which his party is likely to win, thanks to the martyr factor. Then he will return to Oxford to complete his studies leaving a regent, in the form of his infamous father, Asif Ali Zardari, in charge. Apparently - and this is widely disputed in Pakistan - this is in accordance with his mother’s letter of wishes.
Zardari, widely known as Mr Ten Per Cent, has spent more than a decade in jail in Pakistan on corruption charges. He is believed to have looted up to $1.5 billion from the Treasury, is appealing a conviction by a Swiss court for money-laundering and faces a separate inquiry in Britain. More sinisterly, he was also accused of complicity in the murder of Benazir’s brother, Murtaza Bhutto.
Pity Pakistan. If anything good could have come from Benazir’s assassination it was that the PPP would reform and re-establish itself as a modern and truly democratic party. As the PPP is one half of a two-party system, the party’s survival is vital for Pakistan’s democracy. Founded by Benazir’s father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, it is also the only national grassroots party in Pakistan’s history.
Some say the party is rotten to its core. That’s untrue. There still exists a minority of incorruptible and principled politicians, as well as the favoured, acquiescent types. Others claim there are no credible leaders to replace Benazir within the party. Also untrue. Aitzaz Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and PPP stalwart, emerged as a national hero and natural successor when he stood up to the military and protested against the dismissal of the chief justice. For this he was jailed, beaten and kept in solitary confinement. He remains under house arrest in Lahore. And as he has credibility, experience and popular support, it suits all the power seekers both inside and outside the PPP that he stays there.
The justification for the selection of Benazir’s son as chairman was that only a Bhutto could provide unity within the party. If so, then why not 25-year-old Fatima Bhutto, who is arguably more qualified for the job than her teenage Facebooking cousin? If everything’s in a name, Fatima need not have changed hers in order to inherit. Brought up in Pakistan, unlike Bilawal, and a native speaker, she is an established writer and political commentator. At least she has some work experience. Aunt Benazir’s first-ever job was prime minister of a 160-million-strong nation.
It helps, in a lookist society, that she’s also as beautiful as her aunt - a young Salma Hayek lookalike - and has similar tragic appeal: orphaned, like most Bhuttos, as a result of a political assassination. Fatima is also politicised and outspoken. Too much so. She repeatedly accused her aunt of being complicit in the murder of her father and savagely opposed Zardari. That ruled her out.
The real reason Fatima is my favourite Bhutto, though, is that she has the sense to realise that a few good articles and the right surname don’t qualify her for leadership. Unlike others in the family, she rejects the notion that political power is her birthright: “I don’t think my name qualifies me or makes me the best person.”
The result of Benazir’s bequest may be the disintegration of the PPP. Mumtaz Bhutto, clan elder and former chief minister of Sindh, has already publicly said: “This will split the party very badly. Zardari has no political acumen.”
The only consensus within the party was that Zardari was to blame for his wife’s transgressions. Once emotions subside, the true horror of the succession will sink in. Zardari’s rule, even as regent, is unsustainable.
When political parties claiming to represent democracy are run like monarchies, posthumously electing family members and quashing all dissent, what hope is there for democracy in the country?
It always strikes me as patronising when outsiders claim that Pakistan has no other credible leaders. The argument in favour of Benazir was always “Well, who else?”
The problem is that in a country where clans and names bear such significance, the circles of power are closed. It’s the system that fails to allow other leaders to emerge that is the problem, not the lack of viable alternatives. In rural Sindh and Punjab feudal landlords have always dominated politics and the educated middle class remains excluded.
A ruling family may well produce the odd leader who is adequate and groomed to rule. It is equally likely to spawn an ineffectual, out-of-touch and parasitic elite that sucks the lifeblood from the country, perpetuating the cycle of poverty, popular revolt and military coups that has bedevilled Pakistan’s history.
If the PPP wins the elections, as is expected, the question becomes: is this democracy, as our leaders in the West would have it, or rather a dynasty posing in democracy’s figleaf?
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Tags: Assassination, Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Elections, fatima bhutto, PPP
12 responses so far ↓
1 Maria // Jan 6, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Great article! Nails the problems right at the root. I’m not a fan of monarchist, elitist political parties. If we cannot have fairness and merit in the political parties that are supposed to run the country after they get elected, what expectations do we have of justice and merit after they are in power?
2 Raza // Jan 6, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I am scared to death at the thought of having zardari in control of a party that seems like a winner in elections.
Makhdoom amin sb, makhdoom shah mehmood, aitezaz ahsan … How can you tolerate zardari ?
I think i have the answer: they don’t want to oppose bilawal succession and end up being rooted out of party and become hated by the ppp supporters.
3 Wseem // Jan 7, 2008 at 4:33 am
The decision of havving another Bhutto to run PPP is a sign of feudal mentality. That it self is the biggest problem in Pakistan and India. So called “family” keeps a tight grip on the top seat of the political party, making every other member nothing more than “servers” with no real voice.
Why not Aitzaz Ahsan, or those who kept party going in the absence of Benazir Bhutto? Mumtaz Bhutto can be also a candidate.
Fatima Bhutto is young but energetic, more I read about her, I like her. She should be given a role in the party command if not the leadership.
Zardari or any of those so called PPP leaders failed to condemn the violence in the after math of Bhutto’s murder. In a developing country like Pakistan, 200 million dollars lost occured to Pak railway and approx 2 billion dollars damage occured to other properties.
Tommorow those people who caused all this destruction will they accept the responsibilty of have no transportation or Banks in there areas? NO
Thats where Fatima Bhutto or Aitzaz Ahsan has to make a difference and tell people hurting Pakistan is hurting themself.
4 justdoit // Jan 8, 2008 at 12:10 am
Its only Bilawal who can convince Zardari to
give the leadership to Fatima.
Unfortunately bilawal is too young to do that and zardari is too cunning to allow that to happen., plus the famous benazir’s WILL …..
5 Anwar Mahmood // Jan 9, 2008 at 2:51 am
FATIMA LOOKS MORE LIKE A BEAUTY QUEEN LIKE BB. AND SHE IS TOO YOUNG AND CAN THROB THE HEARTS AND STEAL THE POLITICAL ISSUES OUT OF PEOPLE’S MINDS AND REPLACE THEM WITH HER IRRESISTILE, IRREPLACEABLE AND COMPULSIVELY IMPOSED LOOKS AND CHARMS.
I HAVE KNOWN, SEEN AND SOCIALIZED WITH SYRIAN-LEBANESE PEOPLE OF INCOMPARABLE BEAUTIES. WE ARE TOLD THAT SHE IS OF SYRIAN DESCENT ON MOM SIDE AND WAS BORN IN LEBANON. I CAN SAY HELLOW TO HER IN HER MOTHER TONGUE ON THE NET AS SUCH”
“KIE FAK, YOU BINTUN JAMILA TUN-YOU
HALU FATIMA BHUTTO”
IN URDU, IT WILL BE AS SUCH:
“KIA HAL HEI HASEENA LARKI-TUM MEETHI FATIMA BHUTTA.”
IN PUNJABI, IT WILL BE AS SUCH:
“KI HAL AE SONIEY KURIAY-TU MITHI FATIMA BHUTTO”
AND IN ENGLISH IT MEANS AS SUCH:
“HOW ARE YOU PRETTY GIRL-YOU SWEET FATIMA BHUTTO,”
I BELIEVE FATIMA FROM HER SYRIAN MUSLIM MOM IS THE SYRIAN MUSLIM FLOWER PLANTED IN PAKISTAN GARDEN.
ON MY EACH TRIP TO SAUDI ARABIA AND UAE AND OTHER PARTS OF MIDDLE EASTM I FOUND ALL ARABS CRAZY FOR SYRIAN BEAUTIES.
I THINK THAT FATIMA’S PRETTY LOOKS WILL DILUTE THE POLITICAL SENSE AND REPLACE IT WITH HER INCOMPARABLE CHARMS IN PAKISTAN.
FATIMA YOU ARE THE APRIL SHOWER
YOUR FACE WE SEE IN EVERY FLOWER
YOUR EYES ARE IN STARS ABOVE
PAKISTAN, SURE, FOUND YOU LOVE
POLITICS , YOU MAY LOVE AND PLAY
YOUR CHARMS ATTRACT, THEY DO SAY
KENNEDY WAS ELECTED MAN
LIKE HIM ,ON BEAUTY SCORE ,YOU CAN
AND BEAUTY MEN,THEY CARE LESS
BUT WOMEN BEAUTY IS ENDLESS
THAT HISTORY OLD HELEN OF TROY
AND OLD MONA LISA, THEY BLESS
SO STAY AS SWEET DISCREET YOU ARE
AND STAY WITH LOOKS OF MOVIE STAR
AND BETTER YET LIKE DAMASCENE
YOU’RE PAK LOVED, NEAR AND AFAR
BORN AND RAISED IN POLITICAL CLANS
AND PAKS SEE ARE YOUR LOVING FANS
POLITICS MIXED WITH YOUR CHARMS
YOUR POPULARITY WILL ENHANCE
AND THIS ANWAR HAS THE WISH
FATIMA STAY AS SWEET DELISH
NEVER EVER LOOSE YOUR CHARMS
MORE YOU’LL STAY MORE SWEETISH
6 Shirull Zaman Khan // Feb 26, 2008 at 2:58 pm
No she is too soft a person fr the Pakistan political arena …..her weight does not qualify as contender to the pakistani political setup……
she will need much more coaching ….maybe in the next political bout she maybe ready to hit the ring ….so for now the anewer is a big ….NO SHE IS NOT READY FOR THE CONTEST AS YET …..OK
7 Shirull Zaman Khan // Feb 26, 2008 at 3:01 pm
MAYBE IN THE YEAR 2013 SHE WILL BE ABLE TO LEAD IF BY THEN SHE REMAINS INTRESTED IN THE POLITICS OF THIS COUNTRY
8 Wilayat Shah // Feb 26, 2008 at 3:43 pm
She needs a godfather/mother to succeed in pak polotics. Otherwise she will be remembered as a good political analyst & writer.
9 Imaan // Mar 7, 2008 at 10:35 pm
FATIMA!STOP COMMENTING ABOUT BILAWAL!WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE OLDER THAN HIM BUT ITS BOT RIGHT TO COMMENT ABOUT ANYONE OK?
10 zain domki // May 29, 2008 at 1:03 am
fatima please come in politics and be like benazeer… we want to see you as our leader
11 zain domki // May 29, 2008 at 1:06 am
jab tak sooraj chand rahega,
bhutto tera naam rahega
12 rita // Nov 4, 2008 at 12:08 am
agar fatima must run Pakistan usko bohot mahnet karni parigi.q ki bilawal ki ma ,pa 2 no hai persident thi or hai ,to is lie bilawal fatima se vi kus agi hai.but family bind ager chut zai o asssa nahi hai.
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