Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Recollections and remembrances

HOME SWEET HOMEMr. Usman FlashmanWhenever the Shaheed entered ‘Al-Murtaza’ he would proceed straight to see hisdeer in the corner of the Garden. He loved the deer. Next came the Parrot, whowas very friendly with Shaheed. Very often when the Shaheed would be relaxingon his reclining chair or working on his writing table, he would stop for a fewminutes to think. It was then that the parrot would proceed straight to him, pickup his pen and start scratching his head with the pen.He loved trees; Mrs. Bandra Naike had planted a pipal plant in the lawn of Al-Murtaza which has now grown in large shady tree. Bhutto Shaheed was verykeen on that tree. Very often he would instruct the servants that the pipal hadbeen planted by Mrs. Bandara Naike, so everybody has to be very careful. Weshould look after it and never, never think of cutting it clown. His love for treeswas such that he had instructed that even the trees long dead should not be cutdown. Only once there was an occasion when he had to take the very difficultdecision to cut down a tree.There was a date palm tree next to the swimming pool. It had started bendingright over the pool. The result was that not only the leaves and dates fell in thepool but the filth from the nests of the birds and their droppings continuouslyfouled the water. Shaheed on his visit to Al-Murtaza asked the Gardener, howwas the date Palm tree doing? The gardener knowing very well that the Shaheedhated to cut down trees replied that he would do something about it. On his nextvisit again the same question was asked and the Gardener said that he would puta Shamiana over the pool so that the filth does not fall in the pool. On the thirdvisit the problem was still there and I submitted, “Sir, the tree is doing well butbecause of the tree the entire Swimming Pool is ruined. The water is full of filth.We have no option but to cut it down”. The Shaheed thought for a long time.“That is what I was worried about”, he said, “O.K. If nothing can be done, then we willhave to cut it”. I could see that he was saddened.During the government many departments, factories and mills used to presenthim shields. These shields would just lie there in their unopened boxes. I tookthese shields out and fixed them on the wall of the large dinning hall of the guesthouse. These are still fixed there. When Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto arrived for thefirst time during the Shaheed’s government in Al-Murtaza, Shaheed brought herover to see the guest house. I was fixing a large photograph on the wall theShaheed started telling his daughter about the picture. “I had this photographZulfikar Ali Bhutto, Recollections and Remembrances; Copyright © www.bhutto.org 76