In September 1996, fourteen-year-old Fatima Bhutto hid in a windowless dressing room, shielding her baby brother, while shots rang out in the dark outside the family home in Karachi
Reviewed by Shoukat Lohar
Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani author, poet, and journalist, born on May 29, 1982, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
She is the granddaughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Bhutto was raised in Damascus, Syria, and Karachi, Sindh Pakistan. She studied at Columbia University in New York and later earned a degree in Middle Eastern studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
As a writer, Bhutto is known for her insightful and powerful prose that often explores themes of political and social justice. Her first book, “Whispers of the Desert,” was a collection of poetry published in 1998 when she was just a teen. In 2010, she published her first novel, “Songs of Blood and Sword,” which was a memoir of her family and their struggle for power in Pakistan. The book was shortlisted for the 2010 Orwell Prize.
Bhutto has also written a number of articles for various global publications, including The Guardian, The New Statesman, and The Times of India, among others. Her articles have focused on a wide range of topics, from politics and human rights to culture and society in the Middle East and South Asia.
In addition to her writing, Bhutto is also an activist and advocate for social justice. She has been involved in a number of social and political causes, including women’s rights, education, and the plight of refugees.
Overall, Fatima Bhutto’s work as a writer has been widely praised for its honesty, insight, and powerful portrayal of the complex political and social issues facing Pakistan and the Middle East. Her unique perspective as a member of one of Pakistan’s most prominent political families has given her a platform to explore these issues in a way that few others can, and her work continues to inspire and inform readers around the world.
Background
In September 1996, fourteen-year-old Fatima Bhutto hid in a windowless dressing room, shielding her baby brother, while shots rang out in the dark outside the family home in Karachi. This was the night her father Murtaza Bhutto was murdered. It was the latest in a long line of tragedies for one of the world’s best-known political dynasties. It is an epic tale of intrigue, the making of modern Pakistan, and ultimately, tragedy. A searing testament to a troubled land, Songs of Blood and Sword reveals a daughter’s love for her father and her search to uncover the truth of his life and death.
‘Songs of Blood and Swords’, a memoir by Fatima Bhutto, published in 2010, provides a personal account of her family’s history, which is deeply intertwined with the political and social upheavals of Pakistan and the Middle East.
In Pakistan, assassination was the national pastime, a competitive sport
The Bhutto family is one of the most prominent and influential political families in Pakistan, and the book primarily focuses on Fatima’s grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in the 1970s. The book also covers the tragic deaths of several members of the Bhutto family, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto himself, who was executed in 1979, and his daughter, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007.
The memoir is divided into chapters that are named after various family members and provides a personal and intimate account of their lives, highlighting their struggles and successes, as well as the political and social contexts in which they lived.
Fatima writes about the impact that her grandfather’s political career had on her family and the country, as well as the challenges of being a member of such a prominent and controversial family.
Through her writing, Fatima also explores the complex issues of identity, nationalism, and belonging, which are central to the history and politics of Pakistan. She describes her own journey of self-discovery and her attempts to make sense of her family’s legacy in the context of the larger political and social forces that have shaped Pakistan’s history.
Justice was a mirage, and truth a whisper that vanished on the wind
Overall, “Songs of Blood and Swords” is a powerful and poignant memoir that offers a unique perspective on the history and politics of Pakistan through the eyes of one of its most prominent political fighter.
Here are some striking excerpts from the book “Songs of Blood and Sword” by Fatima Bhutto:
“In Pakistan, assassination was the national pastime, a competitive sport.”
“Bhutto’s were marked, cursed almost, with an insatiable desire for power.”
“It was a land where power flowed like a river and the people were left to drown in it.”
“Justice was a mirage, and truth a whisper that vanished on the wind.”
“We were a generation that had come of age under the shadow of the gun.”
“The only thing that was constant in my life was the rhythm of violence.”
“The struggle for democracy in Pakistan has always been a bloody one.”
“In Pakistan, the past is never really the past, it’s always there, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt.”
“In Pakistan, the line between politics and violence was always blurred”
“There was no place for morality in Pakistani politics, only power.”
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Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk
