Bhutto's Book Release Hastened Before Elections

[Riaz Haq]

Bhutto's Book Release Hastened Before Elections
By Riaz Haq
http://riazhaq.blogspot.com

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's posthumous book
titled "Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West" is being
released February 12,2008, exactly 6 days before the crucial voting in
Pakistan. Ghost-written by Mark Siegel, Washington lobbyist and
Bhutto's personal friend, the book was originally planned for release
in April, 2008. However, publisher HarperCollins, a division of Rupert
Murdoch's News Corporation, decided to pull the release date in with
the approval and cooperation of Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari and
Bhutto's children.

According to published reports, the book arguing that Islam should be
reconciled with democracy, is among the final works produced by Bhutto
before her assassination at a political rally on Dec. 27, 2007. "No
one could have known that these would be Benazir Bhutto's final words,
and somehow that makes them carry even more weight, especially at a
time like this," said Tim Duggan, her editor at HarperCollins. "This
book is her legacy." HarperCollins had signed up the book for an
estimated advance of 75,000 dollars just ahead of her return to
Pakistan in October after eight years of self-imposed exile. The
publishers are expecting brisk sales and New York Times best-seller
status for this book.

Among some of the shocking tidbits from the early publicity material
from the book, there are revelations about Bhutto's belief that Osama
Bin Laden's son Hamza or Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud was planning
her assassination. It should be noted that the Pakistani Government,
the CIA Chief, and unnamed British officials believe Mehsud killed
Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto's husband and her children have added a short afterword to the book.
--

[Riaz Haq]

Begum Nusrat Bhutto passed away in Dubai today, report Gulf News:

Dubai: Nusrat Bhutto, mother of the late Benazir Bhutto and mother-in-law of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, died in Dubai yesterday after a protracted illness. She was 82.

Nusrat Bhutto, who was born on March 23, 1929, to the Esfahan family in Iran, had lived in Dubai for more than 10 years.

She was recovering from a stroke and had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years.

Nusrat breathed her last yesterday at the Iranian Hospital where she had been admitted about two months ago.
------------
Nusrat married the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on September 8, 1951. It was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's second marriage.

Nusrat outlived three of her children — Benazir Bhutto, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shah Nawaz — all of whom were assassinated. Sanam Bhutto is her sole surviving child and lives in London.

Nusrat is widely credited for introducing politics to the women of Pakistan.

The Pakistan government has announced one day of mourning and the ruling PPP has announced the suspension of all political activities for at least ten days in the wake of the death of the woman who was Pakistan's former first lady from 1973-1977.

"Begum Nusrat was a towering personality and a very brave woman. [The] late Benazir Bhutto always took great care of her mother as she used to feed her mother with her own hands," said Sardar Javed Yaqoob, a PPP supporter in Dubai.

A large number of PPP supporters from all over the UAE gathered at the Iranian Hospital after hearing the news of Nusrat's demise.


http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/benazir-bhutto-s-mother-nus...

[Riaz Haq]

The Bhutto family, sitting left to right in back row: Nusrat, Shahnawaz, Zulifiqar Ali, Sanam. In front, Murtaza and Benazir.