Begum Nusrat Bhutto’s funeral on Monday was unable to bring together the families of late Benazir Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto, the assassinated children of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, due to the controversy over the legacy of the Bhutto family.
Ghinwa Bhutto, Murtaza’s widow, and her children refused to attend the funeral of Begum Bhutto held in Naudero and Garhi Khuda Bukhsh on Monday, and instead offered separate funeral prayers for Nusrat Bhutto in absentia outside Al-Murtaza House in Larkana.
Sindh National Front chief Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, leaders and workers of the PPP-Shaheed Bhutto and others also participated in the in-absentia funeral for the late PPP leader. Late Murtaza’s son, Zulfiqar Junior could not attend the funeral prayers due to his late arrival from London. He was on his way to Larkana when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was lowering the body of Begum Nusrat Bhutto in the grave. President Asif Ali Zardari, through a statement, had invited the family of Murtaza Bhutto to attend the funeral at Naudero House. Additionally, the district administration of Larkana had also formally asked Murtaza’s family to attend the funeral. Besides, Sardar Aamir Bhutto, the chief of Bhutto clan, also made efforts to mediate between the two families in this regard, but in vain. According to Ghinwa Bhutto-led PPP-SB spokesman Inayat Hussain, the DIG and DPO of Larkana had visited Al-Murtaza House late on Sunday to formally ask the family to attend the funeral. However, Ghinwa rejected the offer, saying that under Islamic laws and ethics, the body of Begum Nusrat Bhutto should have reached at her heir’s house, Al-Murtaza, and by attending the funeral at Naudero House, she could not go against Islamic law.
Hussain said the family had later decided to say Begum Bhutto’s funeral prayers in absentia in front of Al-Murtaza House. The prayers in absentia were performed around 15 to 20 minutes before the prayers at Naudero House. Ghinwa and daughter Fatima remained at Al-Murtaza House until the burial of Begum Bhutto and accepted condolences there. According to PPP-SB leader Ghulam Rasool Umrani, Aamir Bhutto visited Al-Murtaza House on Monday and held a meeting with Ghinwa. He later visited Naudero House, the residence of Benazir Bhutto and met Faryal Talpur. The Bhutto clan’s chief, however, attended condolence gatherings at both places, the Naudero House and Al-Murtaza House. According the PPP-SB spokesman Inayat Hussain, Murtaza Bhutto’s family will visit the Bhuttos’ native graveyard separately to offer prayers at the grave of Begum Bhutto, after Zulfiqar Junior arrives in Larkana.
Nusrat’s death fails to bring family together
