Fatima I don’t understand why you and other analysts are so obsessed about his tour while Pakistan is flooded, do you reckon would it made a difference if your uncle Mr. cent percent were in Pakistan? Do you think he would have been in field at all? Or do you think he would have been disbursing money from his personal treasure to its poor country men? And what are you on about £7k a night he is spending on luxurious suite of course thats peanuts for Mr. cent percent (he robbed his country big time...). I would be obliged if you could explain why your grand chose him for his dear pinky and why your aunt stuck with him... come on dare to let us know!

if you are that concerned about your country go back and try to improve situation. I know its tough living in a country that treats women and minorities like shit, give it a try.

And for the love of jinnah, stop making allegories to tragedies that happened in western countries. No. Mumbai attacks were not India's "9/11" and this is not zardari's "Katrina".

I have little sympathy or respect for Pakistani elite and that includes this article's author.

Whereas I understand, recognize and acknowledge her comments in this piece, I'm acutely aware of the fact that folks like Ms. Bhutto with rich backgrounds and vain and pompous families always have some axe to grind.

Having said that, I will not express skepticism about Ms. Bhutto and will reserve it from some other time and place. In the meantime, while Mr. Zardari stays occupied looting and plundering the public exchequer, there is little hope for the people of Pakistan to stabilize or steady themselves in any sphere of life.

The recent flooding is a sad but true depiction of modern-day Pakistan - it is a sinking ship, a truly failed state.

Mr. Zardari's election as president was by itself a slap on face of the people of Pakistan. A nation that elects a total creep, a true disaster such as this man has to be ashamed of itself. The guy has no scruples - he's an absolute ass.

The money spent on maintaining these imbeciles and the wretched of the earth like Mr. Zardari is perhaps the American taxpayer's hard earned effort. Funds directed to Islamabad from Washington are not being used for the tasks they are meant to accomplish.

While President Obama and Secretary Clinton have emphasized on the encouragement of human development projects, Pakistan remains pathetically backward and a broken entity. It resembles a glorified tribal area.

Notwithstanding British prime minister, David Cameron's recent remarks about Pakistan, one cannot but agree with him. Pakistan is playing a double-game and trying to fool around with the rest of the world. It is considered to be a front-line ally in the war again terrorism - this is certainly NOT true. Pakistan itself is a terrorist state.

Those who call the shots in Pakistan have been/are involved with the Taliban. Folks like Mr. Zardari and General Kayani are part and parcel of the deal. The Western world has been clearly warned in the recent years not to place undue trust on the devious Paki leadership.

Pakistan has broken all rules and have tried to test the patience of its allies and well wishers beyond reasonable and prudent limits. Their over-ambitious foreign policy goals have ended up killing any prospects of betterment of its teeming millions.

Mr. Zardari is a murderer, a scoundrel of the first order. Needless to say, Pakistanis are used to having such 'brilliant bastards' at the helm of affairs. With the exception of the country's founder, M. A. Jinnah, all those who have steered the destiny of Pakistan have been top class robbers, tragically in love with themselves but not the people over which they rule.

I came across a report in the media according to which former Paki prime minister, now in the opposition, Mr. Sharif criticizing Mr. Zardari for his absence in this time of need. Mr. Sharif, let me remind all concerned, was no less than anyone else when it came to wiping off funds from the state treasury.

Would Mr. Zardari's presence have mattered? Yes, it would have. The nation of Pakistan today finds itself literally on its knees, thanks to religious fanaticism and now this natural disaster of flooding. People needed moral support from their head of state; they are emotionally downtrodden at this time. Being that he is after all the president and because his party claims to represent the people, this was perhaps the best time to cement ties with the public-at-large.

Long story short, Pakistan is a failed state - it has lost its way big time. 'Leaders' like Mr. Zardari are the leeches that are busy sucking the last drops of blood from this rather lifeless body. They are 'allured' to stay in Pakistan because they know that cannot survive elsewhere - they are simply not good enough.

Whatever happens in the coming few months and years in Pakistan is something no one can predict. One thing, however, is easy to say - Pakistan is a total disaster and will probably never be able to stand on its own two feet.

It's good to discuss issues and Ms. Bhutto's piece is worth reading. However, losers like Mr. Zardari are think-skinned and hardened criminals. While he’s not only answerable to Ms. Bhutto for her father’s murder, he is responsible for mass-looting of the Pakistani nation.

Couldnt agree more with MAJA007, if Ms Bhutto is so concerned about the fate of Pakistan, she should head back and try to reign in matters. She ofcourse is in the enviable position of actually being able to do something, coming from a most elitist and influential family. Her false depiction of her father, who need I remind setup a terrorist organisation and hijacked a passenger plane as nothing less than a saint leads one to believe that even the current Bhutto generation has little to offer.
And what can I say about Mr Ahson Hasan. You remind me of a baby that has just popped out of the womb, completely oblivious to World affairs especially those pertaining to South Asia. Its true Pakistan finds itself in a perilous position but to blatantly blame Pakistan as the seed of all problems in the region is being highly ignorant. This is not the time or place for me to lecture you on the Soviet-Afghan War and its remnants and how Pakistan has sufferred thereafter. Bottom line being Western (read American) interference in the region over the years along with a tussle amongst the World powers for regional dominance has led to the current state of affairs. I am not completely absolving Pakistan of its actions and do believe that had we been fortunate enough to have intelligent visionaries who truly held a deep sense of attachment with the Country and its people, things would have been different. The current clown brigade that is doing rounds in London these days aptly sums up the misfortune that the friendly and peace loving people of Pakistan have had to put up with, yet their resolve remains strong and God willing the tide will turn.

Long live Pakistan.

Whenever I hear the word Bhutto, corruption comes to my mind.
Its a pity that the middle class (mostly educated people of Pakistan) have never stood up to these corrupted elites (mostly feudal lords). Its a mistake more on part of the poor majority of Pakistan that worship these feudal lords. Ms. Bhutto, who writes this article, is not an angel who descends from skies to solve the problems of Pakistan. Infact, her family is among the families of feudal lords whose has been ruling Pakistan for ever since. Be it Shareefs, Chaudaries, Bhutto, Soomros, Bugtis, Khans and so so these are some families name to mention that have spoiled and plundered Pakistan for ever since.
Ms. Fatima Bhutto has no means of defending her grandfather, her aunt of the corruption they did in their own time as leaders of Pakistan and she has done nothing to prove she is different from what her family is. She has all but words as all politicians here in Pakistan have.
Your criticism of Mr.Zardari is a well known family feud and nothing else. If its truly different than it seems you have to prove yourself first. Otherwise, you can rest because Mr.Zardari already has thousands of critics writing about him in Pakistan and abroad. You are a tiny drop in this ocean.

Ms Bhutto, after reading your article and the following comments by these boys, I have concluded that your only highlighting the luxurious life of your uncle :The 10 Percent. Your family's past history is very well known to our countrymen. If you are any different from them, please show it by doing something for this drowning country, not just some healthy insight to the situation we are already aware of. This way you might save the word "Bhutto" from the curses of the poor people of Pakistan.

As for Ahson Hasan: If you are one of us, I am ashamed to call you a fellow countryman because its people like you who had already given up on their country and blurring the future for those who have little hope left for this country. If you are not one of us, then you have no right to judge us because you have not witnesses the disasters we went through in these past 10 years. The aftermath of Soviet - Afghan war is the reason we are suffering from these accusations of being Terrorist. All we need is to get rid of all the corrupt and uneducated politicians. The young generation of Pakistan is eagerly waiting for the real REVOLUTION and Inshallah it will come sooner than you think.

The idiotic Pakistani voting population put this obviously inept man in office simply because of who he was married to. Blame the Pakistani people for creating this dynasty, they deserve more blame than Zardari's unsurprising corruption. Pakistan is a lost cause. The US should cut off aid and India should close its border and play a proxy war in Afghanistan vs Pakistan's Taliban allies. The world needs to contain Pakistan, and let them deal with their natural disasters by themselves. Perhaps the North Koreans can help them out, they seem to actually have similar values.

first i will like to agree with Mr Fronix Remark regarding people deserting their country and country man. and also impress by their stubborn attitude to dictate people opinion of country which they have abandoned.
secondly i will like to know Ms Bhutto stand on "dynastic coronation ", is is based on principle of democracy within political party or just because she is left out. As if her stand is of principle then i will say Ghinwa Bhutto( her step mother) chairman ship of PPP-SB is also an example of "dynastic coronation "
People were really looking forward to a new plate form for old ppp worker, if only they had let the PPP founding personalities gather and run the party. But to no surprise this was only struggle for family property.
i do think if Miss Bhutto come and gather old people and let the party be run democratically. she could earn name for her self instead for being niece or grand daughter of some one

Ms. Fatima Bhutto, thank you for speaking up and thank you for continuing to speak up.

Pakistan needs a thoughtful, educated, liberal voice and you are one of the few of this very small minority. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Zardari is wrong to be swanning around in Europe whilst Pakistan is drowning. Of course he should be in Pakistan to do whatever he can during this flood emergency.

I am not a civil engineer, but I suspect the rivers of Pakistan have not been dredged, raising the river beds and thus making them more prone to flooding. This is just a symptom of many many problems that beset Pakistan.

Pakistan has a very tiny educated leadership, my calculations suggest its only 1%. The implication is that 99% of Pakistan is being run by the 1%. Imagine any system, from a systems engineering point of view, where 99% of it was rather dysfunctional.

In my opinion, lack of education of the masses is the curse. That is the reason for massive corruption, over population, too much imbibing in religion and too little attention paid to education, rational thinking and actual hard work.

Pakistan has to find very creative ways to leapfrog into 21st century and the first step should be to improve the retention rates in primary schools in villages from 20% to 90% even if we have to provide token scholarships to every child. This is obviously a generational project.

Indian machinations on both sides of Pakistan and American unthinking and stubborn pressures are not helpful. They distract and defocus Pakistan.

Perhaps, Pakistan should cut-off all supplies to the American Occupier in Afghanistan and then at least one of Pakistan's monsters will wither away.

Pakistan is certainly in choppy waters and a firm hand of a skipper is needed on the tiller.

Where is that firm hand?

While I am all for democracy, but I don't think there is such a thing as a democracy without education or democracy for the blind or democracy whilst the ship is adrift in a storm.

What say ye?

lalqila.wordpress.com

So why single out Zardari? His Pops in law was an elite so was his wife. Mr. Sharif is an elite so is Chaudhry.
Only exception to this rule may be Mr. Musharraf!

I am sorry if I ruffle any feathers here but frankly Pakistan was conceived by the elites it has been run by the elites mostly to the benefit of the elites.

Even though Mr. Ahson absolves Mr. Jinnah of eliteness. He was a quintessential elite. Aloof, suave, polished. A complete anti-thesis to Gandhi.
"An Often told indecent about Jinnah claims that during one of his most important speeches, he asked where the foreign press was and remarked that he was not here to speak to all these illiterate Muslims!"
(I am quoting this from memory so no reference to support the above)

The whole founding of the nation was based on the thinking of the Muslim elites acutely nostalgic of the Muslim rule on an overwhelming part of India.
The average Muslim Yusuf frankly cared more about his Roji Roti than the grand dream of Pak.

After her founding the elitism continued unabated and unabashed. The feudal system was never broken down.
In India, while there were elites ( Nehru for one) elitism was frowned upon. Gandhi made it fashionable to be common. Patel was common and so were many many regional and national leaders.
So many Indian elites in fact have to masquerade as common people to get elected ( Remember Shashi Tharoor?)

Fatima Bhutto is no different from Zardari. Just another face of the same coin. She has an ax to grind and grind she will wherever she finds print space.

Many Pakistanis love to present India as a cesspool of cast-ridden Hindu ( Oops Hindoo, their preferred spelling) mess where people at the lower rung have no opportunity of advancement. But A careful examination will reveal otherwise. Albeit at a glacial pace, the lower rugs of the society are moving up. Politics is where they have risen the quickest, followed by business, bureaucracy and they are slowly doing it in education and other knowledge industry. ( Grand success ? No Work in progress? yes)

A casual survey of professional Pakistani and Indian immigrants to the US will confirm my point. An overwhelming percentage of expat Pakistanis are elites as compared to a much lower percentage of Indians.
A great percentage of Alumni of Agha Khan Medical college from Pakistan tend to be ultra super elites and almost entire graduating class immigrates to the US wherewas you do not see that trend with IIT or AIMS graduates from India.

Wherever you go, the fact is that elites will come out ahead.. Money and power are wonderful force multipliers... but the key is to not block the non-elites. The game is rigged but rig it less is what I say

For the victims to blame and criticize Zardari for not being in the country is totally understandable. But for those who only complain and write about their opinions and views, pin pointing at others mistakes and about what they are not doing is so much more baseless and foolish.
The only question that raises in my head while reading this article is...even if the President is not in the country while millions suffer..where is your contribution? You can sit in another country and cry about how unreasonable and selfish the President is but you certainly cannot seem to do your part in the first place.
Do something yourself, prove to the people in need that you have done as much as you could - then you complain, it's totally reasonable.

I think we should all condemn Fatima Bhutto for maligning the person of Pakistan's most popular, loved, honest and sincere President. If you don't believe me, ask PPP's die-hard workers like Babar Awan, Rehman Malik, Fauzia Wahab who gave their blood and sweat for the PPP. Fatima should also have commented on the eligibility of Bilawal Bhutto to lead Pakistan. By the way, why Bhutto's treat Pakistan as their personal fiefdom and consider it their birth right to rule Pakistanis? Their party has only produced these mujahideen and is protecting them. You can read about them in: http://fmeducation.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/the-whole-nation-should-salute-these-mujahideen/

After reading Ms. Bhutto's article and the following comments, I cannot help but agree with alot of what she says and express surprise at many of the comments. Is most of what Ms. Bhutto has said untrue?? I don't think so, and she is not alone in criticizing this foreign trip of Mr. Z. There are plenty more doing that this very minute. Its all over the news. So she's a Bhutto and related to the family? Is that her fault? She didn't ask to be born a Bhutto and frankly I think she has a good head screwed on her shoulders and I hope she has the good sense not to ever venture into Pakistani politics. In that country, its better to be an observer than a participant.

I wonder what Ms Fatima Bhutto thinks of her gangster grandfather who killed his opponents while PM and was hanged for it. Also what are her thoughts about her terrorist father and uncle. The only reason she is not indulging in crimes is because she is a woman! Pakistan's tragedy: it's criminal politicians. Pakistan the most dangerous place on earth because of it's politicians.

To those who are Pakistani, yet have given up on your nation, I condemn you for abandoning your homeland. You now have a blemish upon your reputation. One that may not be visible to the naked eye, but is visible to your brothers and sisters still in your native Pakistan. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

Rather than concede defeat so easily, you should be standing up and helping your country. If not with your time and money, at least with your words and a little bit of confidence. You are cowards of the lowest stock.

As for Mr. Zardari, he is nothing but an uneducated, illiterate oaf. He is a thief who should be run out of office. He deserves nothing but a jail cell. In fact, he is most probably responsible for the death of his wife, a woman as corrupt as he. His son will be no better in office.

As for those who judge Pakistan for having supported the Taliban, remember that the Americans too supported them. In fact it is the Americans who were responsible for creating the Taliban. Now it is Pakistan that is suffering from the actions of America.

As for India, their situation is no better than Pakistan. Their politics are as corrupt and filled with the elite. Their government is most likely supporting some kind of terrorist cell for their own purpose as well. Don't be so blind to your own country's sins.

The Pakistan I know and love is not dead yet, nor will it be until it's citizens stop raising their voice in support of their motherland. Pakistan is a developing nation fraught with difficulty and a lack of support. It needs time to develop a system that works for it. This is not something one can expect to occur overnight.

I am not surprised the amount of bile being spewed by the comments on this page. It would have been truly surprising that, for once, Pakistanis would actually stop making ad hominem attacks and instead focused on her message. One can only take responsibility for one's own actions - at least give her credit for speaking out against the legacy of her own family. In a country where everything runs on 'biradari' she has done more than most by taking a stand, and a public one at that.

What I find curious is that of the combined volume of comments on this article, ALL concern themselves with finger pointing; who should stay home, whose fault it is and whether Pakistan would be better off with or without these people.

Ms Fatima - for the right or the wrong reasons - brings up a horrible situation in your home country and not one comments on WHAT can be done, HOW you will help or what YOU will do to help your beloved country.

Knowledge of foreign policy, history and the intimate lives of your political elite are great coffee shop conversations - or good to show off your knowledge in a prestigious magazine. But I dare you - including Ms Fatima - to show me examples of efforts you are doing, initiatives you are starting, fund raising you are doing - or how you yourselves are on the ground with those poor people.

Anyone ?

It is great that some body is openly expressing the inner stories of Zaradari and it coorruption and adempness and stuborn attitude of Zaradari when the whole country in in trouble and he is enjoying the luxuary in the expensive hotels in the world at the cost of national exchecker.

Fatima did a breave thing and i condemn all the criticism which most of the people did in the favour of corrupt Zaradari , Mr ten percent.

First of all i make it clear to all that Zaradri is a cunning person and the reson for the fall of the both the Govt of BB was the corruption by Zaradri.

Zaradri held BB in a very crook way and the money starving Zardari married BB in the result of black mailing.
Had ZA Bhutto been alive till then , He would have killed suich a cunning person and eliminate all the Zaradari family. But the time did not let this happen and the tricks of Zardari did a timely job for him a great success.

Even Zardari was such a cruel person that he often used to beat BB.

In the last stage of BB life , there was no interaction bewteen the two. there was a separation between these two.

BB in her last years of life , kept this Parasie Zaradari away from her.

It was her murder that let Zaradri to creep in and start doing what he used to do under the Prmie M

LMAO @ the comments. Itz just an article. read and move on!

The insensitivity is nowhere better illustrated than by some of the comments and the decision of President Asif Ali Zardari to carry on with a visit to Britain, despite the crises in our homeland. The poor families made destitute by the floods are in no mood to worry about our opinions. They need help and that’s what we should all be focused on.

nice share, good article, very usefull for me…thanks gizli cekim

amazed to see so many posts badgering at Fatima. Shes speaking the truth ..period. Keep it up girl.

When Condi Rice first learned of Hurricane Katrina, her first instinct was to go shopping for expensive shoes and I believe the first thing Bush wanted to do was play a round of golf. There doesn't appear to be a lot of difference between our two governments. The words to a song once went "we asked for leaders and got gamblers instead."

Fatima has portrayed the truth. Pakistani (nation + system) needs sincere and dedicated leaders; not Zardari & family and etc..

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can't she write any thing different?? all the time same writings, same criticism.. how boring. it seems as if she keeps her eye all the time on Zardari family.. gaushhh what a waste of time.

What can the president of Pakistan do being in Pakistan when at the end of the day you need huge amounts of money to save the people who are effected by the floods in our country. The people with whom he was was led by two ministers and he himself with the security personnels. The minister of info himself said he was living with his friend and not in the hotel. Media created this hype to show the people of unfortunate it is that our president is out of the country. Media is trying to fool people with what ever story they want to air. We need money to save the people as Pakistan has to pledge from different countries as they do not have any way out of it.

I am a war refugee from 1991 gulf war ... and a masters in International relations and a masters in historic studies ... with a contra view to politics ....

First off all all those who are constantly bashing Fatima Bhutto, get a grip of urselves some one even wrote ASS-U-ME tsk tsk .... after all she is a female a gentle behavior is expected towards a women in all rime n religion ....

and for those who say sacrificed they blood my friend the ones who actually worked for PPP with the gift of their blood are no where to be seen :)

For those who call Pakistan a failed state are the " MAHA JAHIL "

for those who say what would zardari do if he was here i am surprised at ur misdirection tell me if ur house was burning n you couldn’t do any thing to save it would you go out n party or would you stand by the rest of the members and try throw a bucket of water

for those who say the public chose zardari hahhaahhaah where do you get this from ... go get ur facts straight ....

well Fatima Bhutto has the resource most of you if had the money and the resource to leave this country ud be on the first flight out of here so that makes u no different

I witnessed just on one note we have so many disagreements no one paid attention to what she tried to state every one just jumped at her hidden motive n its a shame you mock ones family it shows reading n writing English doesn’t make a person literate it how you think is the problem

After reading all the disrespectful comments I believe its all of us why Pakistan suffers ..... Mr Z or not what have you done and what ever you did dint you have a hidden motive behind it ........

ok fine the Govt. messed up what has the so called private sector done but eat approx $800 million n send it abroad what of their social responsibilities

and pls don’t curse ZAB he was the only visionary n non sell out of the nation .... pls study history and them play ur words

It attracts a lot of disparate reactions because it is a disparate effusion; the sort of thing one might expect from Sarah Palin had she stayed at school a few weeks longer.

as these are the results of West's Global Warming. The West is fully responsible for the global warming and its consequences.

Let's sue the West, viz, Europe and America for trillions of dollars of damange to the envirionement.

What say ye?

lalqila.wordpress.com

Fatima Bhutto is right in criticising Mr Zardari. Time and time again Zardari has proved to be a callous ,insensitive,greedy, opportunist person who took complete advantage of his departed wife's fame to don the mantle of the ruler of Pakistan.Ask yourselves this question. What did Zardari do to deserve the postion as president of Pakistan. ZA Bhutto may have used over handedness during his rule n Pakistan but he certainly was an astute politician and sent tremors in the world of political rivals by his courageous honest rhetoric. Bhutto was sincere with his people.He introduced lot of reforms. Moreover he was an educated politician juggling with socialist,religious and nationalistic ideas most remarkably. His foreign policy was probably the best in the world. He maintained a good relationship with the entire world .He forged a sound relationship with China and all countries of the Middle East. Zardari is just an irresponsible clown compared to ZA Bhutto.or Benazir Bhutto for that matter.
But the question remains why did the people of Pakistan vote in favour of Zardari in spite of knowing his unworthy background. The answer is that Pakistan has population of 65% illiterates. People do not understand what is right and what is not for their country. The superfluously greedy and exploitative politicians take advantage of this and fool them from time to time. Honest and decent people are pushed aside in Pakistan in the unfortunate name of narrow ethnic politics much to the detriment of Pakistan's progress. Pakistan can never never progress until and unless every Pakistani thinks of himself as a Pakistani first and not as a Punjabi,Sindhi, Pathan, Mohajir etc .
The example can be taken from India where the government is made of politicians who come from all parts of the country. North,south east and west. They speak totally different languages,look physically different,follow different cultures,have totally different kind of educational background according to their native areas. Yet they all proudly call themselves as Indians and not as Punjabis,Keralites,Kannadigans,Maharashtrians,Telegus,Tamilians etc. This is the probably the secret of India's remarkable hold on democracy. Tomorrow if the head of a state is either killed or removed a peaceful transfer of power takes place. In Pakistan it is like a civil war all the time. Having said this far right extremist parties do pose a problem for the country but are often reined in.
Pakistan needs responsible politicians thoroughly honest and committed to the development of pakistan. Pakistan needs a Fidel Castro or a Chavez. Not corrupted ignorant individuals.

Crisp yet brutal.

In mexico Z meant Zorro. Here Z means ullu ka patha