Fatima Bhutto (Urdu: فاطمہ بھٹو), (born 29 May 1982) is a poet and writer who came to fame after the appearance of her first book, a collection of poems, titled Whispers of the Desert. . She is now a columnist for The News in Pakistan. She received notable coverage for her second book, 8:50 a.m. 8 October 2005. Fatima is the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto, from whom she was estranged. She is active in Pakistan’s socio-political arena,but has no desire to run for political office.

Early life and career

Fatima was born in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. Her father, Murtaza Bhutto, was son of former Pakistan’s President and Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and her mother is Fauzia Fasihudin Bhutto, daughter of former Afghanistan’s Foreign Affair official. Her father was killed by police in 1996 in Karachi during the premiership of his sister, Benazir Bhutto. Her parents divorced when she was young and Ghinwa Bhutto became her stepmother in 1989. Years later, her mother unsuccessfully attempted to gain parental custody of Fatima.

Bhutto completed her BA degree in Middle Eastern studies ^[6] from Barnard College of Columbia University,^[2][7] after receiving her secondary education at the Karachi American School. She received a Master’s degree in South Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London ^[8] She lives with her step-mother Ghinwa Bhutto, and her half-brother Zulfiqar Bhutto Jr. They live at the famous residence 70 Clifton Road in Clifton, Karachi, “Karachi’s oldest and plushest suburb.”

Books

Her book 8.50 a.m. 8 October 2005 marks the moment that brought life to a standstill in Pakistan’s north, as a major earthquake jolted the region from Islamabad to the valleys of Azad Kashmir. Fatima Bhutto visited the affected areas to record and compile inspiring accounts of those affected—victims and volunteers—as a tribute to their hope, courage and resilience in the face of calamity.