KARACHI: A decade after Pakistan’s first female leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, her son Bilawal is striving to reclaim his mother’s mantle, the latest act in a Shakespearean saga of tragedy and power.
But reviving the wilted fortunes of his family’s political dynasty ahead of a general election due next year will be a tough ask for the Oxford-educated scion, who at 29 years old has never held political office.
His family once dominated Pakistani politics.
Grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto founded the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and ascended to the highest civil office in the land, followed by Benazir, who became prime minister twice and was running a third time when she was killed in a gun and bomb attack on December 27, 2007.
Since her death the PPP has seen its fortunes plunge, and few are willing to bet on Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, now the party’s chairman, shepherding it back to glory.
But there are flickers of life.
When Bilawal took the stage at the PPP’s golden jubilee celebrations in Islamabad last week, surprised observers put the crowd at around 25,000, higher than recent rival gatherings.
Much like his charismatic mother, Bilawal was forthright at the lectern, confronting militants infesting Pakistan and the powerful military alike.
“We have to continue our progressive struggle and defeat the conspiracies of dictatorship,” he thundered as the crowd roared.
But away from the podium he cuts a shyer persona.
“My mother often said that she didn’t choose this life, it chose her,” he tells AFP at his family home in Karachi. “The same applies to me.”
Bilawal’s grandfather Zulfikar forged the PPP in southern Sindh province 50 years ago, his slogan of “roti, kapra, makkan” (“bread, clothing, shelter“) turning the party founded by a feudal landlord into Pakistan’s first populist force.
“He gave every Pakistani a sense of pride,” beams Bilawal.
But Zulfikar was deposed by General Zia-al-Haq in a coup and hanged in 1979 despite an international outcry.
Benazir, as her son would be decades later, was thrust into the spotlight. Following Zia’s death in 1988, she was elected prime minister at the age of 35.
Her government was undercut by military interference and allegations of corruption, however, and despite becoming prime minister twice she never completed a term.
Ousted in 1996, she spent most of the military dictatorship years of Pervez Musharraf in self-exile, returning in 2007 to contest another election.
But hopes sparked by her return were shattered by her assassination weeks later.
Her murder was pinned on jihadists, with a UN investigation accusing Musharraf of failing to provide sufficient security.
“It was a bitter blow for those who had hoped for a different Pakistan,” says Ayesha Jalal, of the center for South Asian studies at Tufts University.
That includes the Bhuttos.
“If they stopped assassinating us then my mother would be in the foreign office and I would still be a student,” says Bilawal.
Bilawal was named PPP chairman after his mother’s death but, still just a student, he returned to Oxford.
His father Asif Ali Zardari — nicknamed “Mr 10 Percent” over the many graft claims against him — took control as the party swept the 2008 elections, presiding over its years of decay, fueled by allegations of corruption and incompetence.
Questions linger over Bilawal’s ability to lead the PPP if power still ultimately rests with Zardari.
Bilawal argues his youth is an asset: “I have time on my side.”
Reports suggest he plans to contest his mother’s old seat in Sindh. He dismisses concerns over his own security, saying: “We don’t give in to fear.”
But observers note the protection surrounding Bilawal, his elite status and time abroad could be sequestering him from voters.
His task is a lonely one, the bachelor admits. “If I was to say I had a life, that would be a lie,” he tells AFP. “Netflix is a lifesaver.”
Analysts say he faces an uphill battle in 2018, with cricketer-turned-opposition stalwart Imran Khan on the ascent and the ruling party of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif clawing at support.
Some Pakistanis want more than just another scion.
“Under the dynastic politics, democracy has been laid to rest,” said Karachi resident Sardar Zulfiqar.
But attendees at the golden jubilee have faith, clinging to the PPP’s progressiveness as Pakistan remains locked in a tug-of-war between Islamist extremism and democratic moderates.
Asma Gillani, 52, has supported the party since she first listened to Zulfikar on the radio as a child, right up to the moment she lost hearing in one ear as she was hit by the blast wave in the attack that killed Benazir.
As Benazir’s young son takes the stage she remarks: “God willing he will lead this country.”
Benazir Bhutto’s untested son takes up his Pakistani destiny
Benazir Bhutto’s untested son takes up his Pakistani destiny
Nearly 1,000 migrants cross Channel into UK on same day as 4 killed
- Figure for Saturday is the highest single-day number of migrants making the cross-Channel journey this year
- On same day, a boy and three adults died after overloaded boats got into trouble during the crossing
LONDON: A record 973 migrants crossed the Channel on small boats on the same day in which four died while attempting the journey from France to England, UK Home Office figures showed Sunday.
The figure for Saturday is the highest single-day number of migrants making the cross-Channel journey this year, surpassing the previous high of 882 set on June 18.
On the same day, a two-year-old boy and three adults died after overloaded boats got into trouble during the dangerous crossing attempted by several thousand every year.
The tragedies bring the number of migrants killed attempting Channel crossings this year to 51, according to Jacques Billant, France’s prefect for the Pas-de-Calais region.
Over 26,600 migrants have crossed the Channel on small boats in 2024 according to UK Home Office figures.
The deaths on Saturday were likely caused due to the victims being crushed in overloaded dinghies, according to authorities and prosecutors.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Saturday that it was “appalling that more lives have been lost in the Channel.”
“Criminal smuggler gangs continue to organize these dangerous boat crossings,” she wrote on X.
“The gangs do not care if people live or die — this is a terrible trade in lives.”
Keir Starmer’s new Labour government has been at pains to reduce cross-Channel arrivals in small boats, a key issue in this year’s general election in July.
The government has repeatedly pledged to “smash the gangs” of people smugglers who organize the perilous journeys.
Thousands rally in Jakarta to mark one year since start of Gaza war
- Indonesians have held huge protests since Israel’s deadly onslaught on the territory
- Protesters in Indonesian cities of Bandung, Surabaya also staged protests on Sunday
JAKARTA: Thousands of Indonesians rallied in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta on Sunday to protest Washington’s “double standard” policy on Palestine as they mark a year since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Indonesia has been a staunch supporter of Palestine for decades, with its people and authorities seeing Palestinian statehood as mandated by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism.
Protesters were mostly dressed in black and white and wore traditional Palestinian scarves on Sunday morning as they waved Palestinian flags and carried banners reading: “Free Palestine,” “Forgive us Gaza,” and “Stop Genocide.”
A group of protesters who had marched toward the US embassy were holding mock-ups of dead Palestinian babies while others stepped on a banner featuring a portrait of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We are standing here in front of a building housing an embassy, or we can say, the ‘Embassy of Double Standards, the United States.’ We are here to reject all forms of double standard, because we are no different than our brothers in Palestine. This is not a religious issue … this is an issue for humanity,” Abdullah Muharrik, one of the protest’s youth coordinators, told demonstrators.
“As we mark one year of genocide, we must remember that this did not begin on Oct. 7 last year, this started more than 70 years ago, and we must note that the colonization that took place … must be abolished.”
Israeli forces have killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 94,000 others since they escalated attacks on Gaza last October, according to estimates from the strip’s health ministry.
The real toll, however, is believed to be much higher as the ministry’s data does not include people buried under rubble, those who died of their injuries or who starved to death, as Israeli forces have been blocking international aid.
Sunday’s demonstration in Jakarta was organized by an alliance of Islamic mass organizations and youth groups, which also called for the new Indonesian government to continue fighting for a free Palestine and to reject normalizations with Israel.
Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto will take office on Oct. 20 to replace incumbent President Joko Widodo, whose cabinet included Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who has been vocal in representing Jakarta’s support for Palestine. The Southeast Asian nation has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
The protest in the Indonesian capital also called on the US not to veto UN Security Council resolutions, as such moves would “destroy humanity.”
Sarah Motiva, from the youth-led community group dedicated to Palestine advocacy Baik Berisik, urged demonstrators to continue voicing their support for Palestinians.
“We have the power of social media, creativity and spirited souls to use (social media) platforms to continue advocating for Palestine, so we can win with our pro-Palestine narrative in the world,” Motiva said.
“Continue to educate as many young people as possible to make noise on social media, so that we can pressure zionist Israel.”
Indonesian protesters have held a number of huge demonstrations since the beginning of Israel’s deadly onslaught on Gaza, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the besieged enclave and demanding Washington to stop its support for Tel Aviv.
Indonesians in other parts of the country, including Bandung, West Java and Surabaya, East Java, also took to the streets on Sunday in solidarity with Palestine.
“Our demonstration today is nothing compared to what our (Palestinian) comrades have to go through — oppression and genocide — at the hands of zionist Israel,” Amirsyah Tambunan, secretary general of the Indonesian Ulama Council, said at the Jakarta rally.
“Let us continue to voice up for justice, let us continue to reject oppression and genocide … Free Palestine!”
Floods in Bangladesh leave five dead, thousands stranded
DHAKA: At least five people have died and more than 100,000 remain stranded as devastating floods, triggered by heavy rains and upstream torrents, continue to ravage northern Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday.
In Sherpur, one of the hardest-hit northern districts, the water levels of major rivers have surged, submerging new areas and displacing thousands of families.
Local authorities fear widespread damage to agriculture, with crops and farmlands, particularly rice fields, facing potential devastation. Many homes and roads are under several feet of water, cutting off villages and leaving residents in desperate need of rescue.
“I have never seen such flooding in my life,” said Abu Taher, a resident of the district.
Army personnel, using boats and helicopters, have joined rescue efforts, delivering emergency supplies and evacuating those trapped by the floods.
Bridges have collapsed, and roads have been submerged, making it difficult for local authorities to reach affected areas.
“Our priority is to evacuate people to safe shelters and provide them with essential supplies,” said Sherpur district administrator Torofdar Mahmudur Rahman.
He said another decomposed body, suspected to have floated from India, had been found.
The low-lying nation of 170 million has experienced multiple floods this year, underscoring its vulnerability to climate change. A 2015 World Bank Institute analysis estimated that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh are at risk of annual river flooding, a risk scientists say is worsening due to global climate change.
As water levels continue to rise, concerns grow about the long-term impact on the region’s agriculture, particularly rice crops. If the floodwaters do not recede soon, the economic toll on farmers could be severe.
Adding to the worries, the weather office has predicted more rain in the coming days, raising fears of further inundation.
The floods in August in eastern Bangladesh, which left more than 70 dead, caused damage estimated at $1.20 billion, according to a study by the Center for Policy Dialogue, a leading think-tank.
The United Nations and its partners have launched a $134 million humanitarian appeal to provide urgent relief and support to communities affected by ongoing floods and cyclones in Bangladesh.
UK PM Starmer’s chief of staff steps down, takes new role
- Gray will be replaced by Morgan McSweeney who previously was chief adviser to the prime minister
- She will take up a new post as Starmer’s envoy for the regions and nations
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray has resigned just over three months after the Labour Party won a parliamentary election, after rumors about in-fighting in Starmer’s team.
“In recent weeks it has become clear to me that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government’s vital work of change,” Gray said in a statement.
Gray will take up a new post as Starmer’s envoy for the regions and nations, the prime minister’s office said.
Gray will be replaced by Morgan McSweeney who previously was chief adviser to the prime minister, it said.
Rwanda will deploy Marburg vaccine under trial as death toll rises to 12
- The Rwandan government said there were 46 confirmed cases, with 29 of them in isolation. Health authorities have identified at least 400 people who came into contact with confirmed cases of the virus
KIGALI: Rwandan health authorities will begin a vaccine study against the Marburg hemorrhagic fever, officials said Sunday, as the East African country tries to stop the spread of an outbreak that has killed 12 people.
Rwanda, which received 700 doses of a vaccine under trial from the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute on Saturday, will target health workers and emergency responders as well as individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases, according to the Health Ministry.
Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana told reporters Sunday that the Rwanda Biomedical Centre had reviewed the vaccine shipment.
There is no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg.
Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease.
In a statement, Sabin Vaccine Institute said it had “entered into a clinical trial agreement with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the trial sponsor, to provide investigational doses" for the study.
The Rwandan government said there were 46 confirmed cases, with 29 of them in isolation. Health authorities have identified at least 400 people who came into contact with confirmed cases of the virus.
Rwanda declared an outbreak of Marburg on Sept. 27 and reported six deaths a day later. Authorities said at the time that the first cases had been found among patients in health facilities. There is still no confirmation of the source of the outbreak.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.
In Rwanda, most of the sick are health workers in six out of the country's 30 districts. Some patients live in districts bordering Congo, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization.
Rwandans have been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Strict measures include the suspension of school and hospital visits as well as a restriction on the number of those who can attend funerals for Marburg victims. Home vigils aren’t allowed in the event a death is linked to Marburg.
The U.S. Embassy in Kigali has urged its staff to work remotely and avoid visiting offices.
Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have in the past been recorded in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to WHO.
The virus was first identified in 1967, after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died after being exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.
