KARACHI:
First signs of cracks have appeared in the Benazir Bhutto family when daughters of Benazir Bhutto revolted against the political decision of their father Asif Ali Zardari
Now the son of Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto has joined his sisters against the decision of his father.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari silently supported his sisters – Bakhtawar and Aseefa – who stood up against the PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to welcome a former political rival Irfanullah Marwat into the party fold, party sources say.
Bakhtawar and her younger sister Aseefa had called Marwat a ‘sick man’ and said he was not welcome in the PPP after Marwat met with Zardari in Dubai last week.
This was the first revolt of the scions of the Bhutto family against their father, who has been calling the shots in the party since the death of his wife, the PPP’s former chairperson Benazir Bhutto, in Dec 2007.
“Out of the four family members, three expressed their reservations over the decision, forcing Zardari to give in. This seems to be the first revolt of the children against their father and it can further intensify in future if such policies continue,” said a senior PPP leader while requesting anonymity.
He said after Zardari welcomed Marwat in the PPP, a stalwart in the party sent clipping of an interview of Benazir Bhutto to all her children. The headline of the interview read, “I am struggling against Marwat.”
In the said interview, Benazir had talked about the alleged atrocities, rape and torture suffered by women in 1991 during a police operation carried out while Marwat was a home adviser in Sindh.
Benazir’s friend Veena Hayat, Shehla Raza [who is currently Sindh Assembly’s deputy speaker] and Raheela Tiwana were among others who were allegedly victimised by police on the orders of Marwat.