بی‌نظیر بوتو - دختری از شرق

by Benazir Bhutto, علیرضا عیاری (ترجمه)

خاطرات خانم بی نظیر بوتو نخست وزیر فقید پاکستان است

بی‌نظیر بوتو، این اثر را در 17 فصل سامان داده است. «ترور پدرم، سال‌های حضور در زندان، اخبار و بازتاب‌های حضور در المرتضی؛ اولین تجربه من از دموکراسی، اخبار و بازتاب‌های حضور در المرتضی؛ خواب و خیال حضور در آکسفورد، اخبار و بازتاب‌های حضور در المرتضی؛ خیانت ضیاءالحق، اخبار و بازتاب‌های حضور در المرتضی؛ قتل قضایی پدرم، آزادی از المرتضی؛ رویارویی دموکراسی با حکومت نظامی، زندان انفرادی در سوکور، محبوس در زندان قدیمی مادرم در کراچی، دو سال در زندان فرعی، سال‌های تبعید، مرگ برادرم شاه‌نواز، بازگشت به لاهور و قتل‌عام آگوست 1986، ازدواج با آصف زرداری، امید تازه برای نیل به دموکراسی، سقوط هواپیمای ضیاءالحق و پیروزی مردم در انتخابات، نخست‌وزیری و مسائل پیش‌رو» ا.ش

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Pakistan, Politics, Memoir, History, Autobiography

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

In the postcolonial era, Benazir Bhutto a Pakistani the first such woman, as prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996 led a Muslim nation, faced accusations of corruption, went into self-imposed exile from 1998 to 2007, and afterward returned to reenter politics; people subsequently assassinated her at a campaign rally.

Benazir Bhutto chaired the center-left Peoples Party. People twice elected Bhutto to lead a state. She ranks as the only female to date.

Bhutto, the eldest child of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, of Sindhi and Shia faith, and Begum Nusrat Bhutto of Iranian and Kurdish descent. From town of Bhatto Kalan, situated in the Indian state of Haryana, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, her paternal grandfather, came to district of Larkana in Sindh before the independence.

People swore Bhutto for the time in 1988 at the age of 35 years, but from office on alleged grounds, the order of Ghulam Ishaq Khan, then president, removed her. In 1993, people reelected her.

Farooq Leghari, president, again removed Benazir Bhutto in 1996 on similar charges at this time. She moved in 1998 into Dubai.

Bhutto reached an understanding with Pervez Musharraf, president, who granted amnesty and withdrew all charges, and returned on 18 October 2007. She, an opposition candidate, led and departed peoples party in the city of Rawalpindi, two weeks before the scheduled general election of 2008.

Reviews

[Pakinam Mahmoud · Rating 3 out of 5]

" أنا لم أخترْ هذه الحياة، بل هي التي اختارتني.."

ابنة القدر ..سيرة ذاتية لبينظير بوتو أكثر زعماء باكستان شعبية وهي تنحدر من أعرق العائلات وأكثرها شهرة في باكستان و كانت في الوقت ذاته ابنة
ذو الفقار علي بوتو أول رئيس وزراء يُنتخب من الشعب مباشرة.

بينظير بوتو استكملت مسيرة والدها الذي أُعدم علي يد الجنرال ضياء الحق الذي قام بإنقلاب عسكري عام ١٩٧٧ ومعه بدأت مأساة عائلة بوتو ومعاناة باكستان التي تستمر حتي يومنا هذا...
ألقت الكاتبة الضوء علي حزب الشعب الذي كانت تتعزمه وكيف كان تسعي من خلاله لتحقيق العدالة الإجتماعية والحرية في مجتمع متشدد يحكمه الجنرلات وذكوري أيضاً مؤمن إن السياسة الباكستانية ليست من اختصاص النساء ولكن علي الرغم كل الصعوبات التي واجهتها كان حزبها هو الحزب الأكثر شعبية في البلاد و أصبحت أول امرأة مسلمة تنتخب رئيسة للوزراء...

الكتاب حجمه كبير جداً..حوالي ٦٢٠ صفحة ..جزء كبير منه يمكن حوالي نص الكتاب بتتكلم بينظير علي فترات اعتقالها أو وضعها تحت الاقامة الجبرية ...
الكتاب طبعا فيه أجزاء مهمة عن شكل باكستان في هذه الفترة وكيف سيطر الحكم العسكري علي كل مفاصل الدولة وانتشار الفساد و الجريمة و لكن في أجزاء وتفاصيل عن أحداث وقعت لبينظير سواء في التضييق عليها و ملاحقة من يدعموها و كان ممكن اختصارها كتير عن كدة بجانب إن في أحداث لا تهمنا كقُراء من خارج باكستان و مش حنقدر نفهم إبعادها أوي ...

نتوقع في أي سيرة ذاتية أن نعرف معلومات شخصية عن حياة من يكتبها وفي هذا الكتاب اتكلمت بنيظير عن حياتها الشخصية في أضيق الحدود و الفصول التي تناولت هذا الجانب كانت من أصغر فصول الكتاب ولكن نقدر نقول هو كتاب بيتكلم عن عائلة بوتو بشكل عام وهي عائلة كانت كلها مآسي الحقيقة سواء في مقتل والد بنظير و شقيقيها إلي مقتل بينظير نفسها عام ٢٠٠٧ !

بالرغم من كل الصعوبات و الأحزان ،كانت بينظير بوتو تحلم لاخر لحظة في عمرها بأن باكستان يمكن أن تكون بلد ديمقراطي وإنها يوماً ما ستصبح حلماً ومثالاً يُحتذى به لدى أكثر من مليار مسلم حول العالم.

اختارت بنيظير بملئ إرادتها طريق الأشواك ودخلت وادي الموت و للأسف لم تخرج منه!

[Saadia B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the first books which I ever read on a political figure. Benazir Bhutto was and is known as a political symbol of bravery, resilience and irony. She was the daughter of Sindh, and still is. She faced major catastrophes in her life about which she talks in her this book. Her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged by Zia-ul-Haq because he feared the popularity and immense love he got from the people of Pakistan.

An Oxford graduate she was not aware of how politics worked in Pakistan. She came to her country while her father was sent to jail and later hanged. She and her mother were tortured, house arrested and exiled.

Revived her father’s political party, PPP and made her way into peoples’ heart as they saw in her the same valour of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first muslim Prime Minister in the world. Though her government was toppled on corruption charges.

But her popularity among people increased day by day; she emerged as a political leader who was brave, courageous and ready to face anything that came her way in order to give back to the people who loved her as their own. In this book she talks about the various policies introduced in her reign, mystery of Zia-ul-Haq’s death and how western countries influenced politics in Pakistan.

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[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has always amazed me how flatteringly Benazir Bhutto has been portrayed by the world's media,particularly in the West.
She is portrayed as an icon of democracy and Pakistan.The reality is quite different.

She got two stints in power and accomplished nothing much.The most notable legacy of her time in power is that of massive corruption allegations against herself and her husband,future President Asif Zardari.

There is certainly a very tragic aspect to Benazir's life.Her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged for alleged murder,when she was a young girl.

It is a very moving account of meeting him for the last time in jail,and then having to cope with his death.General Zia would later imprison her,and as she puts it,employ methods of psychological torture.

If that were not enough,she would wind up in exile.There in France,she would witness the death of her younger brother,Shahnawz Bhutto,who was still in his twenties.

Did he commit suicide or was he assassinated ? Benazir certainly blames General Zia but what actually happened remains debatable.

Benazir also had a falling out with her surviving brother,Murtaza who was a wanted man on terrorism charges.Both brother and sister wanted to lead the party.(Murtaza was shot dead by the police in 1996,while Benazir was still Prime Minister !).Her husband,Asif Zardari was widely blamed by many including Murtaza's daughter,for being behind the killing.

All the tragedy and hardship of the Bhutto dynasty makes for a compelling read.I found it much harder to read when Benazir writes about her politics.

Yes,she struggled against heavy odds during General Zia's rule,but her struggle was essentially for personal power,not for any great ideals as she continually asserts.

The political part of the book is not something I could get interested in,knowing her politics and record very well.She became prime minister in 1989,after General Zia'death.After a year and a half of indifferent rule,she was sent packing.

Interestingly,she had no work experience before becoming prime minister.It was her very first job ! In 1993,she won the election again.This time she was sent packing again in 1996, by her handpicked President,Farooq Leghari.Both times,she was sent home before the completion of her term.

She went into exile when General Musharraf ruled Pakistan,living mostly in Dubai.In 2007,the US government brokered a deal with Musharraf that Benazir would be allowed to return and all corruption cases against her would be withdrawn.

Despite receiving death threats,she returned and survived the first assassination attempt.She was not so lucky the second time and was eventually assassinated on Dec.27,2007

The news and manner of Benzir Bhutto's death made headlines the world over.It plunged a country into weeks of chaos and blood letting as her fanatical followers took to the streets,killing innocent people and destroying private property.

This book is a mixed bag.The story of the tragedy of her family is moving,I'd rather skip the part about her politics.

Also published as,Daughter of Destiny.
Can be downloaded from :
bhutto.org
sanipanhwar.com

[آلاء · Rating 4 out of 5]

سيرة ذاتية للسياسية بنازير أو بينظير بوتو (رئيسة وزراء باكستان من العام ١٩٨٨ إلى ١٩٩٠ ولمرة ثانية من ١٩٩٣ إلى ١٩٩٦)
تروي بنازير من خلال سيرة حياتها، وحياة أسرتها فترة مهمة من تاريخ باكستان السياسي..
أول امرأة رئيسة للوزراء في بلد إسلامي..
سبقت رئاستها للوزراء سنوات طويلة من النضال في صفوف المعارضة عن طريق حزب الشعب الذي أسسه والدها ذو الفقار علي بوتو لمواجهة الدكتاتورية.

ولدت بنازير لتصبح سياسية، واحتكت بالحياة السياسية منذ سنوات مراهقتها في عهد والدها ذو الفقار علي بوتو وشهدت الانقلاب العسكري لمحمد ضياء الحق الذي أطاح بوالدها ثم أعدمه، ووضع بنازير ووالدتها في السجن لرفضهن الابتعاد عن السياسة والحزب وتعرضت الأسرة جراء ذلك للنفي ثم اغتيال أخوي بنازير..

بنازير تستحق لقب المرأة الحديدية بحق، وتعتبر الشخصية السياسية الأكثر جماهيرية في الباكستان، سعت في فترتيّ حكمها لإدخال إصلاحات اجتماعية ورفع مستوى قطاعيّ التعليم والصحة في أقاليم باكستان الأكثر فقرا، وأولت رفع مستوى وعي المرأة اهتمام خاص، وسعت لتحسين علاقات باكستان بدول الجوار والوصول إلى مكاسب سياسية في مفاوضات مع الهند ورفضت التصديق على محاولات اقحام باكستان في مشاكل الحرب في أفغانستان وكان ذلك من أسباب التهديدات العديدة باغتيالها مع مجموعة أسباب راديكالية أخرى..

يتضمن الكتاب شهادات لصحافيين وعاملين بمجال حقوق الإنسان من أوروبا وأمريكا على ما مرت به بنازير من سجن ونفي واضطهاد انتهاءً باغتيالها على على يد متطرفين بتعاون من السلطة الحاكمة وذلك في عام ٢٠٠٧ بعد عودتها من المنفى للاشتراك مجددا في الانتخابات.

سيرة حياة لامرأة ملهمة لديها قناعات ومبادئ قد تختلف أو تتفق معها إلا أنها لم تخن وطنها أو مبادئها واحترامها للديمقراطية، كانت رغبتها صادقة في تحسين حياة الشعب الباكستاني والدفاع عن صورة الإسلام كما عرفته أمام العالم.

الأثر الجانبي اللطيف للقراءة عن تاريخ الباكستان هو اكتشاف ثقافة العادات والأسماء الباكستانية وهي أسماء تراثية جميلة وأصيلة..♥️
Fri, Oct 7, 2022📚♥️

[Khloud Fathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am not going to comment on the political part cause I lack the knowledge and this is not what this biography is about , besides I believe that once you are in politics your hands will get dirty, you are either gonna kill or be killed by one of your family members, friends or enemies .
Because of the brutality of political leaders we tend to forget that they are humans as well, the sacrifices they have to make , in this biography Benazir takes you with her to her family house the emotions she felt and thoughts during her solitary confinement ,her father-daughter relationship , her garden and family pets , her friends support , and the losses of the beloved ones.
In order to be remembered for being a great person you should do something regular people don't do , you should practice longer hours , you should endure pain ordinary people can't survive , not to commit suicide when other people would choose to end their sufferings , that's the only way you can step forward from the crowd and be remembered.
Benazir daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto surely carved her name in the modern history at least she kept her promises, exploding mangoes who thought of that !

As my mother said; in history of Pakistan there weren't and neither will be as highly educated as the Bhutto family ( cricket player is now running for presidentship what the heck! I mean look who's talking our present doesn't even have a college degree! )

Militant can't rule a nation they are taught to control areas and people with bullets, control them with injury and death at the same time democracy can't be held for illiterate people she made it crystal clear in her book .
Sometimes I forget that she's talking about the millitary coup in Pakistan during the 1970s or about African & Arab countries in 2000 s.
If you aim to do something big with your life, don't get married, not to an eastern man he can't tolerate the idea that his wife is better than him in something other than house chores....
A true inspiration

[Betta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encourage all my fellow women to read this amazing autobiography of Benazir Bhutto, the first female prime minister in an Islamic country, and one of the most educated, passionate women leaders of all time. I was blown away by the story of the Bhutto family and their contributions to the development of the nation of Pakistan, and also how much they, their supporters, and the people of Pakistan endured just because they lobbied for democracy, human rights, a fair judicial system, and freedom from discrimination and military rule. After reading Ms. Bhutto's book, I am even more fascinated in this country and in the United States' involvement in the shady world of Pakistani politics.

[Sportyrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose to read this autobiography as I was interested to learn that the author was the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim nation: Pakistan.

The story gave a fairly good insight into the thinking, emotions and ambition of Benazir Bhutto. A lot of her story involved being arrested and jailed without conviction as a political criminal. This is quite tragic. I think an abridged version of this would have been easier to get through as it felt like it took ages to get through this book.

I enjoyed the last several chapters most about her life once she was in power. I am still uncertain about many aspects of this story as autobiographers can often be biased and put forward their best attributes and accomplishments whilst overlooking or downplaying the opposite.

I discussed this book with a friend of mine who was born in Pakistan. He asked some interesting questions and showed me a few pieces of information online including the Bhutto mausoleum compared to the main street standard of living at the same time showing run down buildings and donkeys. He said how can all these promises of helping the poor etc be believed when the family have lived so luxuriously whilst so many had no power, sanitation, jobs and so forth. He also showed me the net worth of various family members to further demonstrate this point.

I was hoping to come out of this book with a better understanding of some of the political history of Pakistan however I feel like I may know some of the key points on the timeline but not really anything about whose motives were the purest. The history is dynamic for sure. I would like to do some more reading about this period.

[Raya راية · Rating 5 out of 5]

تاريخ مليء بالبؤس والعنف والدماء
للأسف يبدو أن الطريق للديمقراطية لا زال طويلاً.

...

[Surabhi Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is an autobiography of former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto who was shot dead while she was on a political rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and daughter of former prime minister and most influential person of Pakistan Julfikar Ali-Bhutto. She twice became Prime Minister of Pakistan and returned back after eight years of exile on 17th December 2007 for the elections to be held on 8th January 2008. The autobiography was written till April 2007 and she died on 27th December, 2007 at the age of 54. The epilogue was re-written by Mark A. Siegal after her death for new edition.

She narrates her life from her birth, her childhood, days in Oxford University, days in captivity, her marriage to Asif Ali Jardari, till she became Prime Minister and after. The book is a one-sided story from the eye of a resident of Pakistan which may offend readers of other origin on few occasions. Few of the incidences are unnecessarily stretched to the length which altogether is not necessary.


https://thereviewauthor.wordpress.com/

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent in terms of relating Benazir's personal feelings and emotions, but slanted in terms of Pakistan politics and her personal diatribe against President Zia, who eventually executed her father. Lots of tragedy, and insight into the dark, seedy parts of Pakistan politics, and with a few bright moments of President Bhutto's aspirations for her people and especially women.

[Amina Khalil]

للأسف بدون تقييم بسبب عدم القدرة على إكماله...

متعاطفة جدًا مع عائلة بوتو بسبب ما حدث لجميع أفرادها ولا أنكر أني معجبة بقوة بنازير بوتو وشجاعتها وما قدرت أن تحققه كامرأة في بلد مثل الباكستان، ولكني بدأت هذا الكتاب لأجد إجابات عن بعض الأسئلة لدي حول شخصية بنازير بوتو ولكنه لم يقدم لي أي إجابات حتى أكثر من نصفه..
كما تعبت للغاية من السرد الممل الذي لا يقدم أي جديد

[Farhat Amin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read the book because I grew up hearing a great deal about Benazir Bhutto from my father in particular, he cared a lot about the politics of Pakistan. The book is an amazing piece of propaganda, it bathes Benazir in a shining light as the saviour of Pakistan. History is a witness to the corruption of her tenor as the leader of Pakistan. Feminists tell us that we need female leaders, that they will do a better job than male leaders but Benezir's leadership debunks that argument. It's not the gender of the leader that matters but the system and the laws they implement.

11 Facts About Benazir PPP Wants to Hide

Benazir Bhutto is known for many things. Being the first woman Prime Minister of a Muslim-majority country to the first PM giving birth while in office. In the nearly 12 years since she died, her party the PPP, has used her ghost to increase their political clout, in the process hiding or glossing over some truly surprising facts about her that we’ll uncover here.

1. Her father wanted her brother Murtaza to lead the party not her
Benazir’s father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, served as Prime Minister between 1972 and 1977. He was hanged in 1979 and since his party did not have democracy within its ranks, it was not clear who would inherit it after his death. He had appointed his wife, Nusrat Bhutto, co-chair in 1977 while he was under arrest [1], but after his death Benazir took the reigns. [2]
However, Murtaza disagreed. [3] He believed he was their father’s designated political heir as he was asked by him to manage his Larkana constituency in 1977 general elections. Benazir’s biographer Shyam Bhatia agrees with Murtaza, believing that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto would have recognized the impediments a woman leader would face in a conservative society. [4]
In 1994, Benazir’s mother Nusrat Bhutto also stated that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto never wanted Benazir to lead the party. [5]

2. Horse-Trading
Horse-Trading in subcontinental discourse means buying members of the parliament with the allegiance going to the highest bidder. A truly undemocratic process and Benazir indulged fully in it during her first term as Prime Minister between 1988 and 1990. [6] The irony is that she established the ‘Movement for Restoration of Democracy’ in 1981 against the dictator Zia-ul-Haq.

3. Lies in Autobiography
In 1988, Benazir published her autobiography, “Daughter of the East”. Her biographer Brooke Allen noted that it was “a political performance” for a western audience written in order to “seduce Western opinion and opinion-makers”. [7] The book also contained some outright lies. Benazir sought to whitewash her father’s crimes, especially his hand in separation of East Pakistan and his persecution of political opponents through his paramilitary FSF. She also lied about her mother, saying she was forced by her to wear burqa when she reached adolescence. This was to portray herself as a ground-breaker on gender issues so as to gain political clout in west. [7]

4. Cronyism
In her first stint as PM, she made her mother a senior minister without portfolio and her father-in-law chairman of the parliamentary public accounts committee. [8] She also let her husband, Asif Ali Zardari attend cabinet meetings despite not being a member of the government. [9]
When Benazir returned to power in 1993, she gave cabinet positions to both her mother and husband. [10] Zardari was appointed investment minister [11], Chief of the Intelligence Bureau [12], Director General of Federal Investigation Agency [12] and Chair of the Environment Protection Council. [11] What he did with such power we will find out in point number 7.

5. Benazir wasn’t a Socialist
While her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was definitely a socialist, Benazir changed her mind gradually while in exile in the 80s, ending up being a complete neo-liberal Thatcherite when she came to power. [13] So much so that according to her biographer Mushtaq Ahmed, her party had become right-wing under her leadership given that its policies were benefiting the privileged classes rather than impoverished ones. [13]

6. Her mother called her a “little dictator”
In 1993, Benazir kicked her mother off from co-chaipersonship of PPP and declared herself sole chair for life [14]. Nusrat Bhutto didn’t take it lying down. She replied by backing her son Murtaza to take over PPP in Sindh and rewarded Benazir with epithets of “Mrs. Zardari” (for allowing her husband to play her) [15] and “liar”, adding, “She’s talked a lot about democracy, but she’s become a little dictator.” [14]

7. Corruption with Zardari
During her first tenure, Zardari was given the nick-name “Mr. Ten-percent” for receiving kickbacks from business deals that required approval of the government. [34] Corruption cases were filed against Zardari and Benazir and while Benazir claimed these allegations were false and politically motivated, her biographer Brooke Allen states there was ‘significant evidence to his guilt in this regard”. [34] In October 1990, Zardari was convicted for extortion and remained in prison until 1993 when Benazir returned to power and used her influence to free him. [16]
She then gave him monopoly over gold imports, which earned him $10 million dollars that he deposited in an Indian bank. [17] Her biographer Brooke Allen stated that Benazir had, “given up on all her previous ideals and simply caved in to the culture of corruption—indeed excelled in it, as she had excelled in so many other areas.” [17] Ayesha Jalal was no less scathing. She states that, “Zardari, now known as ‘Mr. 20 percent,’ was believed to be working with Benazir on most of his money-making ventures ranging from submarines to fighter aircraft and power-generating plants. By now all the major public sector financial institutions were headed by Zardari’s chums.” [18]

8. Swiss Court Conviction of 2003
In 1998, a Swiss magistrate Daniel Devaud conducted investigations into Benazir’s illegal financial activities. He concluded that Benazir, “knew she was acting in a criminally reprehensible manner by abusing her role in order to obtain for herself and for her husband considerable sums in the interest of her family at the cost of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.” [19] In 2003 she was convicted by a Swiss Court and given 180 days in prison. She appealed and got the ruling overturned. But Brooke Allen noted that, “no one seriously suggested that the evidence had been fixed or that Bhutto and Zardari were not thieves on a grand scale.” [19] Similarly in 1999, Polish government handed a 500 page document filled with corruption allegations against Benazir and her husband. [29]

9. Murtaza Bhutto’s Murder
Murtaza Bhutto returned to Pakistan from a self-imposed exile in 1993 and immediately challenged Benazir’s leadership of the party. [20] He wanted a return to socialism and intra-party elections. [21] Criticizing Zardari’s corruption and seeing his hold on Benazir, he formed his own party and started calling Benazir, “Begum Zardari”. [22] In his opposition to Benazir, he was joined by Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. [23] Murtaza complained that his sister’s government was trying to stifle his party, arresting 70 of its members. [24] Murtaza employed different antics to antagonize Zardari. He hung his picture in his toilet [22], and in one incident reportedly had Zardari pinned down and shaved half his moustache. [25] On 20th September 1996, Murtaza was killed in a police ambush outside his residence. Rumors spread that Zardari had ordered his killing [24] [26], a charge later voiced by Murtaza’s widow Ghanwa and daughter Fatima [26]. The policeman who shot Murtaza, Haq Nawaz Sial was killed and his widow mysteriously acquired a large sum of money. [26] Also, Benazir absolved the two police chiefs who had led the operation of responsibility. [26] Even Nusrat Bhutto earlier blamed Benazir and Zardari but later changed her statement to a “conspiracy against the Bhutto family”. The murder case was never solved. Zardari was indicted [33] but in 2008, all cases on him and Benazir were thrown out after PPP came back into power.

10. Benazir’s Authoritarianism
In her second term as PM, Ayesha Jalal suggests that power got to Benazir’s head. She asked her chosen president Leghari to dismiss Nazwaz Sharif’s opposition government in NWFP and after two months she was in power there. [27] Again, this is ironic given that she had formed Movement for Restoration of Democracy in 1981 and always presented herself as a democrat. When Nawaz protested, she stuffed the judiciary with around 20 preferred appointees, including former PPP activists. She blurred the separation of judicial and executive powers by taking away the magisterial powers of deputy commissioners. Then she violated the tradition of seniority in the judiciary by appointing a then-supporter Sajjad Ali Shah, as Chief Justice. [27] Opposition members were booked on petty charges and members of Nawaz Sharif’s family were implicated in over a hundred cases of fraud and embezzlement forcing his younger brother Shehbaz to seek refuge in London. [28]

11. Benazir got Dumped by Women’s Organizations
When Benazir first came to power she was supported by many Pakistani Women’s organizations. However, they were dismayed when she repealed none of the laws they opposed. [30] This continued in her second term as well, so much so that when she was ousted in 1997 and went to these organizations for support she was rebuffed. [31][32]

https://pakistanbibliophiles.home.blo...

[Amirtha Shri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction, especially autobiographies, and a political one at that, makes me imbibe it with a pinch of salt. Even through critical eyes I could not doubt or tolerate the atrocities of the military regime. The martial law combined with fundamentalism had cost lives, spirits, futures, relationships, modernization, and development. I was surprised that 'hope' survived and at an exorbitant amount. Benazir filled most of the book with the brutal political life she led, focusing on her personal trauma as well as the toll on the country. I cannot imagine a 24-year-old Muslim woman, in a conservative state and time, faced things as bravely as she did, the assassinations, the shame, the people, death and torture of dear ones, prison conditions, and the shattering of her happy life. I am left with questions as to what drove her, despite all the letdowns, and what drives a man like Zia-ul-haq to use torture and violence on such a large scale. Do such hostile political conditions form the basis of violence and hatred in the general public?

[Omama. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passionately written, but with a melodramatic tone, this book describes the extensive account of trials and tribulations of Benazir, starting from the execution of her father, and her continuing detentions and jail terms. While her life story and struggles affected me a great deal as she fought and suffered long and hard in her political journey, i found the book's "holier-than-thou" expression about herself and her party rather frustrating; too many stories of corruption stuck to her, which she didn't explain; she wasn't a good administrator, but oh, she was a very good orator. She wasn't all that nice of a person, as she has portrayed herself throughout the length of this book . She was really intelligent, but also oddly dense, having religious beliefs mixed with superstitions. She raised voice for women's rights and no doubt, represented progress in that department, but at the same time, reinforced sexist traditions. Power corrupts absolute power, and she was no different. In my opinion, she was ultimately both incredibly inspiring and incredibly disappointing.

[Nandini Vishwanath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love political stories and autobiographies are high up there. Pakistan has always been fascinating for me as an Indian. In a good way and a bad way.

Political families exist in India too and I find them equally fascinating. However, with autobiographies, while I don't expect that everything will be revealed as it happened, I do expect that some lessons learnt, some humility. While Benazir tries to show humility, I feel it was a put on to bring some balance to a book that is quite one-sided with no reference to any ( not even one!) case of malpractice by PPP or her husband, Zardari or herself.

Surely, there is more to this fight against martial law than just her struggle or PPP's struggle. I didn't expect her to talk about anything beyond her, her family and PPP and I was right in my expectations.

In a subcontinent starved of real role models, Benazir Bhutto is a true role model for a lot of young girls. One of my Pakistani friends said she was her personal ideal and I can see why. In a traditional world, Benazir broke all rules to become the first PM of a conservative country. She surely deserves accolades for that spirit and that struggle, but stories about her estrangement with her brother, Mir, charges of corruption against her prevents me from fully admiring her.

But I think she was anyday a better leader for Pakistan than anyone else I've followed. And her attitude in her autobio proves that.

[Mohamadad ali Abtahi · Rating 3 out of 5]

از قدیمی ترین کتابهای خاطراتی است که خواندم.

[Tushmit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of my personal reading challenge: read a book (I haven't read before) from every top 10 list of books that have touched them (that I have been tagged in).

Format: autobiography

Pre-reading thoughts: I don't know a whole lot about her, but I am curious about her since she was a female head of state in a country like Pakistan. And I'm curious to know her thoughts about Bangladesh.

Mid-reading thoughts :

Don't know if I'm going to finish this, but more on that later. First of all, I want to say, man, this woman can write. I was not expecting her to be such a good writer. But then again, I didn't know that she went to Harvard and Oxford.

The set up to her story could be the set up to a modern political intrigue novel. Daughter of a rich landed renowned family, very ambitious, born in a time when her country is going through major changes - this is the stuff of really good fiction. But this isn't fiction. It's an autobiography and real life does not fall into a neat three-act structure. Real life tends to drag. Which leads me to why I might not finish the book. It's huge and it's starting to drag. I can only read so much about being in captivity. And while the politics isn't too heavy-handed, at a certain point it does get to a point of overload.

But there is SO MUCH to talk about in here, that I am not even going to start touching on them. From gender issues, to politics, to religion and culture. Most of all, when you read her own words, you can't help but find her an incredibly inspiring figure. And seriously, she's from PAKISTAN. The Pakistan in Benazir Bhutto's autobiography is actually quite different from the Pakistan I read/hear about.

I have been skipping around a bit. Might skip around some more before abandoning. One interesting part towards the end was when she talks about her marriage. She says that her husband had no interest in politics, and his reasons for marrying her were, well...I'm not sure she even fully understood his reasons for marrying her. This is all very interesting because this book stops in the late 80s I think. I know about the corruption charges against her husband, and I know that after her death (well, assassination), he eventually went on to be the President and served a long term. So yeah, interesting. Makes me realize that I would have to read the rest with a grain of salt.

But of course, my main interest had been in reading about Bangladesh. of course, I was expecting terms that are contrary to the text I have grown up with. "Rebels" instead of "freedom fighters", "civil war" instead of "liberation war", "the fall of Dacca" instead of "glorious victory". She talked about how, at Harvard, when Pakistan was criticized, she would defend her country and claim the Bengalis did not initially want sovereignty.

But then she wrote this. And reading this from a Pakistani was a big deal:

"How many times since have I asked God to forgive me for my ignorance. I didn't see then that the democratic mandate for Pakistan had been grossly violated. The majority province of East Pakistan was basically being treated as a colony by the minority West. From revenues of more than 31 billion rupees from East Pakistan's exports, the minority in West Pakistan had built roads, schools, universities, and hospitals for themselves, but developed little in the East. The army, the largest employer in our very poor country, drew 90 percent of its forces from West Pakistan. Eighty percent of government jobs were filled by people from the West. The central government had even declared Urdu our national language, a language few in East Pakistan understood, further handicapping the Bengalis in competing for jobs in government or education. No wonder they felt excluded and exploited."

Post-reading thoughts :

I definitely did not finish it. Skipped some chapters about confinement, because there is only so much of that you can take. Also read select parts after the confinement. Given the way it ends, there is a very vague novel structure to the autobiography, if you allow for a really dragged out middle, but there is a lot to get out of this book. It's shocking to realize how secular Pakistan was an one point (not unlike the first book I read from the challenge, Persepolis ), and inspiring to read about a woman with so much ambition, and drive to fight for what she believed. Despite all the struggles she goes through, she is also aware that she is from a privileged class, and included snippets about the plight of other women in her country, and the contrast is striking.

I marked it as abandoned because I did skip at least one entire chapter, but I felt like I read enough to rate it. :P

[Abdullah Almuslem · Rating 3 out of 5]

"أنا لم أختر هذه الحياة بل هي التي اختارتني"

سيرة ذاتية بقلم الباكستانية بنازير بوتو تحدثت فيها عن حياتها السياسية والنضالية التي تنقلت فيها بين السجون والمنفى وإدارة البلاد حتى اغتيالها في عام 2007 م بتفجير انتحاري. الكتاب طويل جدا ومليء بالتفاصيل عن السياسة الداخلية الباكستانية. لكن هذه السيرة تمثل مأساة لعائلة بوتو التي تمت تصفيتها شيئا فشيء. اغتيل أبيها ذوالفقارعلي بوتو بعد انقلاب عسكري واغتيل أخويها بعد ذلك أحدهم مسموم والآخر بالرصاص وانتهى الأمر بها بتفجير انتحاري.

أتذكر عندما تم اغتيالها في عام 2007بأنه تم إجراء مجلس عزاء لها في مدينتي القطيف وذلك لأن خالة أمها (نصرت) واسمها (ملوك الماحوزي) كانت لا تزال موجودة على قيد الحياة في القطيف.

لابأس بالكتاب لكن طويل جدا يقارب 600 صفحة..

[Candleflame23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

.
.
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"هى ابنة الرئيس الباكستاني ومؤسس حزب الشعب الباكستاني، ذو الفقار على بوتو.. وأكبر أبنائه الأربعة.. ورثت قيادة حزب الشعب الباكستاني بعد أن أطاح انقلاب عسكري بحكومة والدها، أصبحت أول رئيسة وزراء لدولة إسلامية عام 1988، تعرضت للنفى من باكستان عدة مرات ووضعت تحت الإقامة الجبرية.
وفي هذا الكتاب الذي خطته بوتو بيدها وأسمته "ابنة القدر" تحدثت عن سيرة حياتها، ومراحل انتقالها من كونها ابنة رئيس سابق تسعى لتطهير سيرته، إلى امرأة خاضت حروب السياسة بكل ما فيها من بشاعة، تحدثت بوتو عن مشقة اختراق حاجز العادات والتقاليد في مجتمع محافظ مثل المجتمع الباكستاني، كانت امرأة مقدامة إن صح التعبير، وامتلكت فعلًا صفات وسمات شخصية القائد، خلال الفترة التي تولت بها حكومة بوتو إدارة البلاد، حققت باكستان قفزات هائلة في المجالات الصحية والتعليمية التي مهدت لها برامج الاهتمام ورعاية المرأة التي كانت تشرف بوتو عليها بنفسها، بوتو تعرضت للمضايقات السياسة والاتهامات المتعددة والتي تسببت في هروبها من موطنها والعيش في كلا من بريطانيا والإمارات لثمانية أعوام قبل أن تعود مرة إخرى إلى باكستان بعد العفو الشامل الذي أصدره الرئيس برويز مشرف، فعادت وخاضت الانتخابات.

ومن السخرية أنها في هذا الكتاب كانت تتحدث عن واحدة من ��حاولات اغتيالها التي باءت بالفشل! ولكن يبدو بالفعل أن في النهاية قد نجحت محاولاتهم، واغتيلت بوتو بعد إطلاق النار عليها عام 2007 بعد خروجها من مؤتمر انتخابي، فأصيبت فى عنقها وصدرها."

شخصية هذه المرأة قوية جدًا، صارمة جدًا، وبغض النظر عن حقيقة ما شاع بعد وفاتها أو حتى في حياتها في المنفى حول سيرتها المهنية، تبقى بنظير بوتو امرأة حققت انجازات ضخمة في ظروف ومؤثرات صعبة، كانت ابنة قدرها فعلاً، رحمها الله.

ماذا بعد القراءة ؟

وقد تجد نفسك في التحديات واقفًا على مفترق طرق؛ فإما أن تواصل المسير وتتعلم مهارات القفز والوثب -" وربما ألعاب القوة كاملة"🌝- حتى تتجاوز العثرات وتتمكن من الوصول للمرام، أو تختار الطريق المختصر الذي يعود بك إلى حيث أتيت، ما دمت مُقبلاً فإياك والإدبار.

#أبجدية_فرح 5/5 🌷📚
‏#candleflame23bookreviews
#ابنة_القدر #بنازير_بوتو #بينظير_بوتو
#سيرة_ذاتية

#كتاب_صوتي
#حي_على_القراءة 🌷📚

[ᥫ᭡ مَـريَم زهـرة · Rating 3 out of 5]

❞ بنازير ذو الفقار علي بوتو ❝

أول وأصغر رئيسة وزراء لدولة إسلامية في العصر الحديث ، إبنة رئيس باكستان السابق ذو الفقار بوتو الذي أُعدم بعد الانقلاب الذي حدث ضده بزعامة الجنرال ضياء الحق سنة 1979،

اعتُقلت ونُفيت مع أمها بعد ذلك ، ثم عادت عام 1986م لتقود المعارضة و بعد وفاة ضياء الحق في حادث طائرة في أغسطس سنه 1988 أُجريت أول انتخابات تشريعية، ونجحت فيها و تولت منصب رئيس الوزراء،

تملك بينازير شقيقان مرتضى بوتو وشهناواز بوتو تعلما بالخارج و
تزوج الشقيقان من شقيقتين ريحانه و غنوة ،

في عام 1985 عُثِر على شاهنواز البالغ من العمر 26 عامًا ميتًا في فرنسا في ظروف غامضة، وكانت عائلة بوتو تعتقد اعتقادًا راسخًا أنه تعرض للتسمم ، اعتبرت السلطات الفرنسية زوجته ريحانة مشتبهًا بها لكن لم يثبت شيء و تم إطلاق صراحها ، بعد التورط المزعوم لزوجة شاهناواز ريحانة في مقتله ، طلق مرتضى بوتو زوجته

تزوجت بينازير من آصف علي زرواري الذي شاركها في النشاط السياسي و سجن لمده 12 عام في سجون الباكستان ،

تولت الوزارة لفترتين حتي سنه 1996 و بعده أقالها رئيس البلاد برويز مُشرف و عين بعدها لرئيس الوزراء نواز شريف من الجماعات الاسلامية ،

وفي عام 1999م أدانتها محكمة في روالبندي بتهمة الفساد وحكمت عليها غيابيًا بالسجن خمسة أعوام ومنعتها من ممارسة العمل العام، فنفت نفسها إلى لندن ،

أصدر مشرف عفوًا رئاسيًا عام 2007م شمل بينازير و وقررت العودة لأرض الوطن وخوض الانتخابات التشريعية المقررة رغم كل التحذيرات التي تلقتها،

وعند عودتها إلى باكستان عام 2007م، استهدف موكبها تفجيران انتحاريان في كراتشي لكنها لم تصب بأذي ،

وفي العام نفسه نجحت محاولة جديدة في اغتيالها بعد خروج بينازير من مؤتمر انتخابي لمناصريها في روالبندي و توفت في المستشفي العام متأثره بجراحها بطلقتين من الرصاص ..

[Mehwish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of the East is a remarkable journey of our former Prime Minister – Benazir Bhutto (Shaheed). Her unfaltering courage in the face of long years in detention, exile, family tragedy is commendable and strongly reflects ideologies of the much loved leader, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The narration is so simple, expressive and beautiful that you find yourself wondering whether you are really reading someone’s life or a heart-breaking novel. Some chapters in the book were so powerfully evocative that I was reduced to tears.

As I turned the last few pages, I knew I was in love with her – Yes! This book can have a very profound effect on the reader!

My verdict: You fall in love with Benazir Bhutto. You admire her personality. You admire her bravery. You admire her leadership. You are swept away with her.

“Yeh bazi jaan ki bazi hai aur tum yeh bazi haaro gay,
Har ghar say Bhutto niklay ga,
tum kitnay Bhutto maaro gay” – Naseer Kavi

Translation: “It's a game of life and death And you will lose,
From every house will march out a Bhutto,
How many Bhuttos will you kill?"

[Hungry Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

"بينكي"
كإنسانه قبل أن تكون سياسية هي مليئة بكل العواطف الممكن أن تتكوّن على هيئة بشرية، والجميل أن عاطفتها ذكية جداً.

فتاة عبارة عن ذاكرة متحركة.

هل كانت تعلم أنها في حاله تسجيل مستمر لكل مايحدث حولها، لها، لعائلتها؟ أكانت تدرك العظمة التي تصنعها فقط بمجرد صبرها وتحملها ونضالها ضد أنظمة دكتاتورية متتالية.

أتساءل أكانت "بينكي" ستختار ذات المسار لو كان والدها مزارع او فلاح بسيط لا يربطه شئ بآل بوتو او بسياسه من الأساس؟ لا أظن ذالك،

لأن والدها ذو الفقار حفر بصماته الخاصة في روح أبنته وحرص على ذالك طوال مسيرته السياسية، حتى في عز اسوأ الاحداث كان يقحم ابنته برساله، في تعليق، او بسؤال بسيط عن رأيها فيما يخص حدث معين.

والدها هو السبب الرئيسي لما وصلت له هي.

وكأنه كان يبني نفسه الآخرى في حياة ابنته، يعيد بناء رؤيته و نظريته في جسد آخر، في بنازير بوتو.

لا أستطيع سوا أن أعجب بكل تفاصيل هذا الرجل العظيم الذي خلّف وراءه سلسله آخرى أو فصل آخر لحياته أستمرت بعد مماته وهي


وهي "بنازير بوتو" العظيمة التي كان وراء عظمتها رجل لا يقل عَظمه عنها.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different task rating this book in stars, because it's not really the quality of the book, or the beautiful prose style I'm judging, it's her story, how she lived her life.
Poor Benazir, Pakistan could (and should) have been a progressive little India, even like a Malaysia by now, if only greedy military factions didn't keep killing off the democratically elected members of the forward-thinking and compassionate Bhutto family!!!

[Anan Tello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a wonderful Pakistani friend in 2008, and I cannot remember ever enjoying an autobiography as much as I did Bhutto's.
She's a strong, intelligent woman and a true role model. The book was beautifully written to the point where I started to see some of its incidents in my dreams. I wish she'd been a writer instead of a politician!

[Himani Bahuguna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic tale of a family who struggled to restore democracy in a troubled nation although quite one sided in its account. The book got me hooked to know more about Pakistan's history. Despite all the controversy surrounding her, Benazir will always be an admirable and courageous woman.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must read for students of political science. I had thought Indira Gandhi was the woman who had gone through the most trials-by-fire in the arena of South Asian politics. After reading Benazir's account,I am inclined to change my mind. Salute to this woman !

[Haris Bakhtiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benazir Bhutto: Daughter of the East is a “deeply moving saga of love, drama, and heroism”. My father being an admirer of the Bhutto family, we were accustomed to listening to the tales of bravery, struggle, and dedication of Bhutto family to Pakistan.

When I picked up this book, I didn’t expect it to be so suffused of drama and information pertaining to Pakistani politics and history. The book is not just an emotional story of a brave daughter of Pakistan but a deep insight into Pakistani, as well as international politics, by a person who was part of the game.

Benazir Bhutto, born to a well-known and affluent family of Pakistan, went to Harvard and Oxford to receive her education. Meanwhile, her father, back home, became the prime minister of Pakistan. The then COAS - Gen. Zia - took over the country, established a Martial law, and executed her father due to the fear of his public support. This was the turning point in her life when she was thrust into the game of politics by the forces of destiny. The story is about her struggles and trails for democracy, human rights, the fair judicial system, and freedom from a military rule under Zia’s military regime.

[Fatima Hayee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter of East is written by former Pakistani Prime minister Benazir Bhutto.This autobiography revolves around the judicial murder of Bhutto and the conditions that made Benazir Bhutto an iron lady. This book highlights the atrocities inflicted by Martial Law Administration on Bhutto family. The mental torture and physical pain she had to go through the detention period. Z.Ali Bhutto's thug life and sense of humor will cheer you up.The bond she had with her father is just fantabulous. Moreover, the way a daughter has explained the last moments with her father can make anyone cry.Every page reflects the hatred of BB towards Zia ul Haq. Overall, this book will link you emotionally with Bhutto family. This book covers only personal events not political events.

[Michela Grasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a review for this incredible book is particularly difficult. Benazir Bhutto was clearly a remarkable woman, to whom the world owes so much. “Daughter of Destiny” is not just the story of the life of the first female prime minister of Pakistan, it is the story of the rebirth of a country. The themes running through the books are endless: mother-daughter relation, father-daughter, religion, power, violence, politics etc.. the story of the Bhutto’s family is not known in the West, which is a pity because it’s also a story that talks about our political and social order. Benazir Bhutto endured so much pain in her life, being tortured and jailed, seeing her brothers and father murdered by Zia’s dictatorship, yet she seems to hold no remorse or regrets in her book. I loved the pages were Benazir describes her relationship to Islam, I found them poetic and so relevant in such uncertain times. This is an incredible book, written in a beautiful and moving way, do yourself a favor and read it.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read this book, as well as Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West, I am convinced that every woman, regardless of their social background or religious belief, should read this book. Apart from teaching the reader quite a bit about Pakistan’s development from the moment it became an independent nation, up until the present day, it is an impressive and often shocking tale of a woman struggling for justice and peace. Time and time again this book proves that the strength of mankind is stronger than we can imagine. Personally, I think it is at times unbelievable what people are willing to, and capable of enduring for the sake of their honour and beliefs.

Benazir Bhutto, her family, friends, and her political supporters have spent years in the most pitiful and horrendous of circumstances, but never once did their strength or dedication falter. They stood tall and held on to their beliefs and hope for a better future, even when a positive outcome seemed impossible.

Apart from the horrendous atrocities suffered by the people described in this book, and the cruelties they to endure, I think this is an inspirational book that women all around the world would benefit from reading. Benazir Bhutto’s life story shows that women can do anything they want, as long as they put their mind to it and don’t get discouraged by occasional setbacks. After having been imprisoned for many years, and having been opposed in every possible way by Pakistan’s military regime, she still managed to become a democratically elected Prime Minister, and the first female Prime Minister of a Muslim country, a triumph! In spite of years spent in exile, suffering death threats aimed at her and her family, and the nearly 9 year long imprisonment of her husband, she soldiered on, and would certainly have been re-elected Prime Minister, if she hadn’t been assassinated on December 27, 2007. Had she been re-elected, she might have been able to pull Pakistan back from the verge of the abyss. As it stands now, nothing has changed, and a great and inspirational life was sadly lost in the process.

The book is beautifully written, and no matter how horrible the circumstances she is describing, Benazir never fails to remain modest and show compassion. She never demeans herself or her supporters, no matter what atrocities or suffering the opposing regime inflicted on them.

I would recommend anyone to read this book, even if you don’t know much about Pakistan and its history. It will be certain to shock, impress, and possibly inspire you.