LARKANA: Amid slogans of ‘Zulm ka khatma [end to repression], Fatima Fatima’ and welcome chants, emotionally charged activists of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) warmly received Fatima Bhutto, the daughter of the party’s founder Mir Murtaza Bhutto, when she returned home after a gap of seven years on Saturday.

Senior party leaders had informed media personnel that she would speak to them during the visit but she avoided a press talk, though she discussed various issues with party leaders and workers.

A large number of PPP-SB leaders and activists received Fatima Bhutto when she arrived at Sukkur airport and escorted her to Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in a caravan of vehicles. Prominent among them were PPP-SB’s Larkana division organiser Inayat Umrani, Ali Ahmed Palipoto and Dr Sikandar Jatoi.

She laid wreaths on the graves of her grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and other members of the Bhutto family and offered fateha. She also stood silent for some time beside her father’s grave to pay respect to him.

Party workers showered rose petals and flowers on the graves while continuing to raise slogans, one of them against PPP co-chairman and former head of state Asif Ali Zardari.

Fatima Bhutto was also warmly welcomed by party workers when she arrived at Al-Murtaza House.

As per Sindh’s age-old traditions, she spent much of her time in offering condolences to those relatives and party colleagues whose near and dear ones had recently died. She went to Mor Khan Umrani village near Ratodero and offered her condolences to Inayat Umrani over the death of his mother and brother. She also visited Umranis’ graveyard, offered fateha and laid floral wreaths on the graves.

During her visit to Izat Ji Wandh, near Naudero, she offered her condolences to Abdul Majeed Narejo, Liaquat Narejo and Manzoor Narejo over the demise of Allan Khan Narejo, the estate manager of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto. Later, she was taken round Bhuttos’ estate, where she met haris.

Upon her return, Fatima Bhutto met party leaders and activists at Al-Murtaza House and promised to meet them again on Sunday, said Ramzan Rind, a member of the party’s information wing.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2019