Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
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A daughter of famous Pakistani political family Miss Fatima Bhutto Address at the Sydney Theatre Walsh Bay on 17 May
Sydney Writers’ Festival
is one of the world’s largest celebrations of literature and ideas. Each year,
the Festival presents over 300 events in venues stretching from the Festival hub
at Walsh Bay to the Blue Mountains, with Sydney Theatre playing host to sessions
throughout the week.
From 16-22 May 2011 the Festival will bring together authors of the very best
contemporary fiction and writers of cutting edge nonfiction, including some of
the world’s leading public intellectuals, scientists and journalists. With the
finest literary writing at its core, the Festival’s programming is driven by the
ideas and issues that animate all forms of writing. Fatima Bhutto is an
Afghan-born Pakistani poet and writer. She is the granddaughter of former Prime
Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto. She is Main speaker of
this year's Sydney Writers' Festival.
The Bhutto name is legendary in Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the country's first democratically elected prime minister. He was assassinated in 1979. His daughter Benazir was prime minister in 1988 and again in 1993. She was running for a third time in December 2007 when she also was assassinated. Benazir's brother Murtaza Bhutto was murdered outside his home in 1996. His daughter Fatima was only 14 years old. Fatima was born into Pakistan's most prominent political dynasty.
Journalist and poet Fatima Bhutto has written the history of her family, who are descendants of a warrior caste that became influential at the birth of Pakistan after the war. Since then, Fatima's own entrance into politics has long been speculated upon, especially after the assassination of her aunt Benazir. But 28-year-old Fatima Bhutto has denounced the family business, saying she prefers to stay active through writing, not elected office. At the heart of her latest book, Fatima tells her family's story from her own, very personal, perspective, Songs of Blood and Sword published by Vintage.
Fatima is a commentator
and journalist and has written for the New Statesman and various Pakistani
newspapers. She's also a published a book on the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir and
a collection of poetry, Whispers of the Desert. Journalist and poet Fatima
Bhutto has written the history of her family, who are descendants of a warrior
caste that became influential at the birth of Pakistan after the war.
Fatima Bhutto was a Chief Guest at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival. On the
Evening of Tuesday,18 May 2011 at the Sydney Writers Festival opening address,
Fatima Bhutto, scion of the Pakistani political family, addresses the current
state of her country Pakistan. Fatima Bhutto spoke with candour and passion
about her own troubled country and its corrupt relationship with the US when she
gave the opening address at the Sydney Writers' Festival last night, titled ''A
Nation on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown''. There was record attendance for
Miss Fatima Bhutto.
Miss Fatima Bhutto accused Pakistan of being a deeply corrupt country with a dangerous relationship with the US, based on aid so far totaling $US20 billion. She said Pakistan must have been aware of the US plan to kill Osama bin Laden and that the war on terrorism was having a devastating toll on the Pakistani people. "Since President Obama took office 2000 Pakistani civilians have been killed by US drone strikes," she said.
The answer to corruption, she said, was incremental change at all levels of society in Pakistan. Fatima Bhutto received generous applause from the Sydney Theatre audience at the end of her speech. Hundreds of people mostly Australian purchased her book and she signs them.
Fatima Bhutto's book is on top at the Sydney Writers' Festival 2011."Songs of Blood and Sword" by Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto is the number one bestseller. Fatima Bhutto‘s book was selling in the Festival $ 25.00 each.
Editor-in-Chief of Sada-e-Watan Sydney Syed Zafar Hussain meets Fatima Bhutto. During the brief conversation, she conveys best wishes for the Australian Pakistani community. Miss Fatima Bhutto said she wish to specially address Australian Pakistani Community gathering but unfortunately, in my present visit 's schedule there is no chance for it but May in future, I will meet my country people living in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and other parts of Australia.
Syed Zafar Hussain and Miss Fatima Bhutto at the Walsh Bay on the evening of Tuesday, 17 May 2011
