SMBB Birthday Tribute Speech

I have been asked many times for tributes and shared memories but I have always found it difficult to put pen to paper; its not easy to write about a mother who was so much larger than life. There’s so much to talk about I don’t quite know where to begin.

Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was so many things all at once: to the world she was an icon, with good reason. She was the first democratically elected female Prime Minister of Pakistan, recognized nationally and internationally for her multiple contributions. From challenging a military dictator to bringing fiber optics to Pakistan – she was a woman ahead of her time. Most importantly, and at least to me – she was simply my mother.

Many who didn’t know her may well presume that she was unable to give the kind of time and attention a mother would, but the truth is she was everywhere, all at once, the proverbial modern day superwoman. Not a single parent’s evening was ever missed, she was always at the front row of school plays, supporting all my “phases” – the rapping rebellious teenager being the last. I have a plethora of memories to sift through, and like her archives, I am still working my way through them.

At my high school play, for instance, instead of being embarrassed at my ensemble, which was a fitted hat, headphones and chains, she was supportive and encouraging.

I remember on one birthday, she insisted that her children need not get her any presents. When we took that literally, she was quite shocked. Improvising on the spot, I quickly scribbled a song as a birthday tribute to save myself from more parental lectures. She was so incredibly touched by my song that it was (embarrassingly for me) shared amongst many guests for weeks to come. 

Its not as if she didn’t set boundaries or bars for achievement. In fact, she always expected the highest of grades at school. She equally devoted time and energy to all three of us. Education, she believed, was of the utmost importance – from her own experience she would always exclaim how everything can be taken away from you, except for your education, and therefore it was the key to real success. So since the age of 17, I have been looking after SZABIST, giving the same lectures to fellow students about the importance of their education. Some lessons resonate forever!

The good times are etched in my memory. Summers in London, walks in the park, internships and worries about university placements, were only some of them. I realize that it was due to all her efforts that we enjoyed a very privileged “normal life” amongst all the high-level party meetings and interviews. In 2007, Bilawal was already settled at Oxford and I was just applying to go to university – even when she was on the fateful homecoming truck on October 18th in Karachi, she was still forwarding me emails of referrals for universities I should apply to. None of us could have imagined that she would not be there when I actually received my grades, nor when I was finally accepted at the University of Edinburgh. At no point did I think that she would not be part at my graduation. Sadly, she could not be there for any of our graduations – Aseefa will finally be graduating with her Masters this year. 

Birthdays were certainly a time for celebration. My siblings and I would always attempt a midnight surprise – balloons and cake – the expected basics and every year, precisely at midnight the blushing roses would arrive. In dozens. Sent from my father in prison, each dozen to commemorate a year. I remember counting all 50 dozen on her 50th birthday. This year we will be laying down 62.

No day goes by that we don’t think of her many times at different junctures. For the most part of our lives she was the only parent that we had, because my father was in jail, and we were not allowed to see him. I still miss her at our dining table. I miss the lectures. I miss the laughter. She was the most extraordinary woman, and I do want to say that we are indebted to her to have been raised like ordinary families.

SZABIST Spring 2015 Orientation Speech

AOA, everyone

It is with great pleasure that I welcome our new batch of students to the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology Dubai for the Spring 2015 orientation ceremony.

To those embarking on university life for the first time –  I do envy you! It is certainly an era to cherish both socially and academically.

I took an interest in the affairs at SZABIST Dubai in February 2008. It was only a month after I turned 18. I did not know what it would entail but it is truly a matter a pride for me to have seen it grow from the hallway of Knowledge Village to where we are all seated here today.

The importance of education was always emphasized in our household, My mother equated education to true wealth and empowerment, often reminding my siblings and I how ‘Everything can be taken away from you – apart from your education’.

Established in 1995, SZABIST was a tribute to her father SZAB. The vision behind SZABIST was to provide a platform, to help arm our students with the knowledge and facilities they need to contribute to a better more prosperous Pakistan.

As an organization SZABIST has certainly come a-long-way since, with Montessori, junior and intermediate schools in Larkana and Mirpurkhas. In addition to job skill training vocational institutes in Nawabshah, Hyderabad and Tando Mohammad Khan. And of course the already known campuses in Karachi, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Larkana and Dubai.

Under the welcoming hospitality of his Excellency Sheikh Zayed, we spent most of our childhood in the UAE. My siblings and I went to high school here and it was this experience that inspired my mother to establish the first over-sees institute of higher education. As the UAE is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities, it made an ideal choice for setting up the first oversees campus. In October 2003, SZABIST Dubai welcomed its first batch of students.

We pride ourselves on providing an environment for our students and their families where they feel secure and confident to overcome weaknesses, discover their talents and of course discover themselves. We are constantly striving to improve and enhance our facilities and services. As a part of this process, we have recently renovated our campus facilities.

In our efforts to go green with eco-friendly initiatives, we have enhanced our IT department. In the first phase, we have converted one of our labs with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure which is a new emerging technology to help cut down electricity usage. A special thanks to Mr Awan, our longest standing faculty who has been associated with our Dubai branch since its inception for making VDI possible.

We hope to eventually convert all our desktop computers into virtual machines.

In addition, we are in the process of setting up a digital logic lab where students are able to design their electronic circuits.

We have also upgraded our Media lab with new audio visual facilities.

We maintain close relations with the schools catering to the Pakistani community in the U.A.E through various initiatives such as Partners in Education Series for the school principals and the Excellence in Educations Awards for students excelling in the Pakistani school systems in the U.A.E.

I hope to see each one of you progress and prosper through your association with SZABIST.

I would like to extend my gratitude, to our senior most faculty, to the staff whose hard work greatly contributed to the completion of the renovation work.

We try and facilitate our students to the best of our abilities. The environment emphasized here is one of care and understanding. Though leniency in academics may be less sympathetic!

We hope to add to your knowledge, we hope to add to your experience and we hope to add to your memories.

Once again, to all those joining us today – Welcome to the SZABIST family!

SZABIST Model United Nations

I would like to thank the honourable Agha Siraj, Speaker of the Sindh Assembly for allowing us to use this space, the old Sindh Assembly.

Welcome delegates,

It is indeed a pleasure to be addressing the seventh Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Model United Nations. Before I welcome our chief guest for the closing session, I would like to spend a few minutes telling you what SZABIST is all about…

My mother established SZABIST in 1995 as a tribute to her father SZAB. Education, she believed, was the route to excelling in Life. She often stated about how everything can be taken away from you apart from your education. The vision behind SZABIST was to provide a platform, to help arm our students with the knowledge and facilities they need to contribute to a better more prosperous Pakistan.

We have campuses in Karachi, Larkana, Islamabad, Hyderabad and Dubai. In fact, we are the only Pakistani university in the world with a campus abroad. Currently accommodating around 6000 students and we are consistently looking to expand and improve.  

Academically we are excelling, with additional new programs, constructed entirely by SZABIST – like our Sind Studies Program that promotes and disseminates knowledge pertaining to Sindh. We study the language, architecture, archaeology, anthropology and musicology of Sindh among other fields (irrigation, river study etc).

Under the guidance of our current chancellor, SZABIST has grown and continues to do so exponentially.  Apart from our known campuses, we also have montessori, junior and intermediate schools in Larkana and Mirpurkhas. Vocational institutes in Nawabshah, Hyderabaad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Tando Mohammad Khan that offer both men and women the basic job skills they need for employment today.

In terms of research and development, SZABIST opened a center for renewable energy research in 2009. In 2010 the ‘Composite Lab and Wind Turbine Generator Testing Rig’ was established and finally by 2011 a windmill was installed at Gharo in Sindh. I love to brag about the achievements of our Students who never fail to surprise me by their determination – from their self designed solar cooker currently used in the village of Jaffer Jo-kee-oh, to the successful prototype Wood gas stove. They are motivated to help ease the lives of those less fortunate and SZABIST continues to provide the platform our students need. We opened a Stem Cell Research Center for the study of cells and a tissue culture laboratory.  We experimented with labs for skin tissue culture to help burn victims. From Mechatronics to Biometrics – I honestly don’t even understand what my students are doing, I do know that they are successfully contributing both intellectually and practically For Pakistan. Their determination is indeed inspirational.

And so today – SZABIST is incredibly proud to host this Model United Nations which is the largest ever held in the whole of Pakistan. With 1500 delegates including participants from abroad. This is our future. You are our future leaders. Our democracy is young, it is fresh. The art of debating and using words rather than violence to resolve conflict is the legacy of our founder’s martyrdom. “It is the educated who think and it is the thinking who debate. And it is only those who debate can come to the right conclusion. (1989).

With that in mind, I would like to welcome chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party – Bilawal Bhutto Zardari 

STFV Fund raising speech

I thank you all for taking out time to gather here today to pledge support for the victims of the flood disaster. I welcome you all. It is indeed an honour and privilege for me to address you. I’m sure you are all aware of the current situation faced by Pakistan. Everyday, every hour, raging floodwaters destroy our homeland, our Pakistan. Towns, villages and agricultural land have been washed away bringing death and destruction.

From KPK, to the agricultural heartlands of Punjab and now the Southern Sindh province, our fellow Pakistanis have been forced to leave their homes, they’ve livelihoods and all their belongings behind.

The scale of this tragedy is unimaginable and conservative estimates show that more than 15 billion dollars are now required to rebuild the affected areas. These catastrophic floods have washed away people, their children, their livelihoods and even entire towns. Everything has vanished. The severity of the situation is so extreme that the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, which pushed back a Trillion dollar US economy by several years, are nothing compared to the relative cost of crop, infrastructure and livelihood destruction during these floods.

This truly is the worst crisis in the history of Pakistan, 12 million people have been affected directly by flood and heavy rain, 1,600 people have already lost their lives and 650,000 have been left homeless and exposed to diseases. They depend on all of us to create hope. This disaster has not yet ended, and it is only getting worse as the monsoon rains continue.

Now, more than ever before, our country, our Pakistan, our brothers and sisters need our help. The magnitude of these floods will have long and far reaching challenges; bur right now one of the largest humanitarian crises is happening on our soil. Pakistan is drowning, we need to come together and help our people, the victims of the worst flood, in history.  

Unfortunately, the poorest of the poor have been most affected. They have been left with virtually nothing, and they are living in makeshift shelters (Relief Camps).

The government of Pakistan in flood relief and rescue operations has so far rescued over 300,000 stranded people. Several hundred medical teams are operating in flood hit areas. 35 helicopters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Kashmir and in Punjab were constantly flying to rescue people stranded in flood water, as well as in distribution of provisions including (ready to eat) food, and medicines for the displaced people. The entire helicopter fleet of the Government of Pakistan is on stand-by position for any eventuality. The President of Pakistan has setup a special cell to monitor flood situations and the Prime Minister has established a relief fund for the victims.

The world has stood with Pakistan during our worst disaster. The World Food Program has issued a 30 million request to assist families. The World Bank has given substantial aid and has offered to set up a fund for the victims. United States has pledged 55 million to ad those affected. Britain has pledged 10 million of immediate relief for flood victims and another 10 million for bridge reconstruction programme. France has announced 5 million Euros to aid the displaced people with another 5 million coming from Turkey and 3 million from Japan. UAE and Qatar have offered unlimited support. The world has stood with Pakistani people as the tragic human toll mounts from flooding. But a lot more needs to be done.

I have also personally launched a campaign to raise funds as well, entitled ‘Help the Flood Victims’. The funds raised will be used to purchase utility bags each weighing around 35kg. These bags contain a variety edibles including 20kg of flour, 5kg of rice, 500 dates, Dahl etc.

Let’s be very clear – any government faced with a disaster on this scale would need, at the very least, all the expertise and support it can get within its own country. Now is the time for us to stand up and show them that they are not alone in their grief. Tomorrow is also the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. I therefore appeal to each and every one of you to help me, help them. Donate now, donate from your heart, and donate as much as you can.

Sindh Festival – Closing Ceremony

Ladies and Gentleman, firstly I want to personally thank you all so much for being here at our closing ceremony. Today marks the finale of our two-week celebration of Sindhi culture and I do hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

 The idea behind Sindh Fest began just a few months ago on Eid when my brother Bilawal went to visit the ruins at Monhenjo Daro and saw the terrible state of disrepair in to which it had fallen. Climate change and environmental factors pose the biggest threats to this ancient site but combined with the ongoing neglect and the lack of resources and technical capacity this site is in danger of being lost forever unless emergency preventive action is taken. His call to action to save Mohenjo Daro became Sindh Fest, and a trust was established, the Sindhu Heritage Trust, to raise funds towards achieving this end.

Despite the fact that we have a rich history spanning millennia – one diverse in thought, religion and practice – our culture is under attack, hijacked by forces that aim to make it either more Arab or more Western. We are neither. We are Pakistan. And we are proud.

Through Sindh Fest we have begun our fight back, our battle to reclaim the cultural space which is being lost to those who seek to destroy us.

It is to celebrate our pride and reclaim this space that Sindh fest began, and standing here in front of all of you makes me so proud. In these troubled times, Pakistan has not had much to celebrate. Terrorism has tried to silence our culture. The last 15 days have shown that Sindhi culture, that Pakistan’s heritage cannot and will not be silent.

In the last two weeks, the organizers of Sindh Fest have outdone themselves, and I want to just take this opportunity to acknowledge their superhuman efforts to make this dream a reality. They were given a very short amount of time to pull off a very large number of things; and they have done so beautifully.

Please lets give them a big round of applause! 

In the last fortnight, Sindh Fest has shown off Sindh’s best artists at Frere Hall, as part of our hugely successful and beautifully curated Art Fest; you’ve had a chance to buy the most intricate Sindhi textiles and cultural products at our Festival City, where all profits remained with the local artisans that exhibited there; you’ve see Donkey Races; you’ve heard our best performers sing the words of our greatest poets; You have celebrated our Sufi heritage, and flown kites on the beach as part of the amazing Beach Basant. You’ve seen the best side of our country’s exciting fashion industry and helped breathe life into our reviving film industry.

Having pulled off Sindh Fest in spite of all the hurdles and threats the rest of the world has seen the real Pakistan. The grit and determination of our people, the life and majesty of this great nation. We’ve shown them the best side of Pakistan.

Long may THIS Pakistan live.

Pakistan International School – Jeddah

Assalamu Alaikum

It is an honour for me to be here today at Pakistan International School (English Section) in Jeddah – an institution established my beloved mother and leader Shaheed Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto, in 1995.

I feel privileged to be able to inaugurate the Rising Pakistan Block.

This School is not only a vision of a great leader but also a true icon of Pakistan in Saudi Arabia. I am highly impressed by its stature and reputation and I am pleased to learn that in a very short span of time the School has built its name as one of the best institutions in the Middle East, and it occupies a prominent and unshakeable position in the fields of academics, co-curricular activities and sport.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the Principal Mrs. Sehar Kamran, her team and the students who have contributed in uplifting the School and making it a world class institution. I truly appreciate all your efforts and achievements.

I wish to congratulate Mrs. Sehar Kamran for her valuable contributions for serving the cause of Education and promoting Pakistan in Saudi Arabia. Over the last few years she has kept me updated over all the successful accomplishments made by the students and staff of this school and I am indeed proud to be able to stand here today in front of you all.

A school is a platform for deliberate and durable endeavours. It is here that the development of the youth takes place in accordance with ideals and aspirations of the nation.

The development of a Nation depends upon its youth, and the expectations from our future generation are high. We will all be called upon to carry these ideals and values to the 21st century and even beyond.

My mother always told me that everything could be taken away from you except for your education. Your education is therefore the key to success. It is heartening to learn that this School has followed through with the vision of my mother and that it is able to provide an atmosphere that allows for you all to excel.

I am delighted to know that students have already achieved distinctions in various fields including academic, extracurricular and sport activities. These achievements are a source of pride for both the school and country and I am confident that the students of this institution, with the blessings of Allah, will continue to make us all proud.

Once again, I would like to extend my appreciation for this opportunity…