The Pakistani writer on enduring an abusive relationship in the public eye, and how she broke free
Fatima Bhutto was born into one of Pakistan’s most famous families. A wealthy and powerful political dynasty, marked by decades of bloody violence. Threats to the family were constant. And so the need to keep secrets became Bhutto’s norm.
Her father, Murtaza Bhutto, was killed in a police shootout outside the family home. She was just 14 years old, her world turned utterly upside down. That sadness and trauma, the sudden and silent disappearances of her childhood, followed her as an adult.
Bhutto was independent, had a glamorous career, and travelled the world. But she became drawn into the orbit of a man who promised to “fix her”.
She entered a whole new world of pain. And she kept it secret from everyone in her life. Until now.
