Fatima Bhutto, niece of former PM Benazir Bhutto, ties the knot

Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto, tied the knot in a closed ceremony in Karachi.

The nikkah ceremony took place at the family's residence at 70 Clifton in Karachi, according to the information shared by the bride's brother Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr.

"On behalf of our father, Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto and the Bhutto family, I'm very happy to share some happy news. My sister Fatima and Graham were married in an intimate nikkah ceremony yesterday at our home, 70 Clifton," Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tweeted.

According to social media reports, Graham Byra is a US national and chose the name Gibran after converting to Islam. He reportedly runs business in Britain.

"The ceremony was attended by Fatima's loved ones in our grandfather's library, a place that means a lot to my dear sister. Due to the difficult circumstances felt by our fellow countrymen and women, we all felt it would be inappropriate to celebrate lavishly," he added. He also called for prayers for the couple.

Later, Fatima Bhutto in a post on her social media account shared more details about the ceremony. “My brother Zulfikar tied our grandmother’s imam zamin on me and the ceremony was conducted in my grandfather’s libraries, one of my most beloved places on earth.”

“We won’t be having any other ceremonies, I’m not one for opulent weddings but especially now it feels so inappropriate given what so many are struggling through.”

Fatima concluded: “I missed my darling father (Murtaza Bhutto) tremendously, but he was with us. I felt him in my heart and among us as everyone present loved Papa so much. Please keep us in your prayers and thank you for all your kind wishes.”

According to media reports, Fatima was born on May 29, 1982, and has written several books, including a memoir titled Songs of Blood and Sword, which narrates the story of her family’s turbulent political history, and the novel The Shadow of the Crescent Moon, which explores the lives of people in a small Pakistani town near the Afghan border.

In addition to her authorship, she has also contributed to articles various international publications such as The Guardian, The Financial Times and The New York Times.

The Bhutto family has a long history in Pakistani politics, as her grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the prime minister of the country. Her aunt Benazir Bhutto, too, served as the country’s premier.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed in 1979 after being overthrown in a military coup, while Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007.

Despite the family’s political legacy, Fatima Bhutto has largely remained out of the political spotlight, focusing instead on her career as a writer and activist and has been critical of the traditional political system in Pakistan.

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