Photo courtesy Twitter
Fatima Bhutto, author and granddaughter of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, married Graham Gibran at a private gathering on Thursday, with her brother announcing the happy news in a posting on Twitter a day later.
“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,” he wrote with a picture of the couple. “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 continued and urged all well-wishers to keep the couple in their prayers.
In a series of posts on Twitter on Saturday morning, Fatima echoed her brother’s announcement. “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,” she wrote. “Behind us were my aunts, uncle and father’s childhood photos and an original People’s Party flag placed by my grandfather himself,” she added.
“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,” she said. “I missed my darling father 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,” she added.
Born in Kabul in 1982, Fatima is the daughter of Murtaza Bhutto, who was killed by police in Karachi in 1996. She has authored several fiction and non-fiction books, and is a regular contributor to various international publications. Her husband, Graham, is an American who reportedly converted to Islam prior to their wedding.