Islamabad: India and Pakistan are "siblings" and have "more in common than we appreciate", says slain Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto's estranged niece Fatima Bhutto.

"Our countries, India and Pakistan, are sister nations. We are one half of each genetically and physically," Fatima Bhutto said in a signed article in the News on Sunday.

"We have, like siblings, more in common than we appreciate and our differences, though vast, are not impossible to overcome. They are barely visible," she maintained in her article titled "A hundred beats".

"Siblings, though stymied by rivalries at times and shadowed by each other's ghosts, are still siblings," maintained Bhutto, who was in Rajasthan capital Jaipur for a literary meet last month.

"They have to protect each other in order to survive. We can't help our pasts, but we have an amazing opportunity to push for radical change in our futures," she added.

Bhutto also recounted her impressions of her Jaipur visit.

"I had gone to India to speak on Pakistan and to be a conduit for a message other than what we see reported on our country every day - hate. I wanted to speak for what a majority of Pakistanis truly want, inside our borders and outside, peace," Bhutto wrote.

Thus, she noted, "in Pakistan, we greet brothers with a hand on the heart or a palm cupped towards the sky. 'Adab' we say, respect. Or salam, peace.

"In India, friends and strangers alike are met with two hands pressed together at the base of the heart. Namaste in Sanskrit, a joining of the fingers and skin, recognises a counter divine. I bow to you it means," Bhutto added.

On the drive from Delhi to Jaipur, she wrote, "the only thing that broke the interminable voyage were fields of sarson, yellow buds alive with colour, just like we have in Lahore.

"Papaya plantations marked a patch of land between the green and yellow of the grassland. I thought of Sindh's mangoes. I have a sweet tooth myself. India's batsmen, Pakistan's bowlers - can you think of a mightier team? Take that, West Indies," Bhutto wrote.

Noting that "in all journeys away from our loved ones we discover certain truths", she added: "On my last night in the Pink City, I was watching television. The US secretary of defence was ready to send ground troops into Pakistan the headline blared. At that point, our differences became pointless.

"It was no longer us against each other; there were larger threats now," Bhutto wrote.


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Shes too young and naive to talk about what Pakistanis want and what not.

She probably doesnt even meet the ordinary Pakistani everyday, with her lavish lifestyle.

Pakistan was made via great sacrifices of our ancestors, i hate it when ppl just to get popularity make these statements when across the border.

Indeed there is some truth to what she says aswell in similarities, our ppl have lived amongst each other and have many things common, but that is where they stop. Ours is an Islamic Society, whereas in India Hindu secularism is strong.

That is enough to leave it at.

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“Be careful what you wish for, you might actually get it.”

Thats a political note book speech or answer

sibling of BRITISH ?! o0

exactly ..
we are quite different now from our past ...

the religion plays a big role for our society and our living system, and that's a big difference factor.
We are Islamic Republic of Pakistan and they are Hindu secularism country, where still hindu values are honoured most important.

and yes these statements are political ...

I would agree with AfaaqKhan on - whether she even knows enough to talk about what Pakistan wants and doesn't want. However if looked into this article a person can see that she does slightly maybe not fully know what she's talking abt.

I don't like it when people fail to acknowledge how many difficulties had to be overcome in the making of Pakistan. Quaid-E-Azam worked hard for a state for the Muslims in India so they could live freely. I have no problem with India. We're neighbors but then again we're neighbors to a number of countries. Just because we were once a part of India does not mean we still share similarities with it more than we may do with any other country in the world.

I would agree with AfaaqKhan on - whether she even knows enough to talk about what Pakistan wants and doesn't want. However if looked into this article a person can see that she does slightly maybe not fully know what she's talking abt.

I don't like it when people fail to acknowledge how many difficulties had to be overcome in the making of Pakistan. Quaid-E-Azam worked hard for a state for the Muslims in India so they could live freely. I have no problem with India. We're neighbors but then again we're neighbors to a number of countries. Just because we were once a part of India does not mean we still share similarities with it more than we may do with any other country in the world.

I would agree with AfaaqKhan on - whether she even knows enough to talk about what Pakistan wants and doesn't want. However if looked into this article a person can see that she does slightly maybe not fully know what she's talking abt.

I don't like it when people fail to acknowledge how many difficulties had to be overcome in the making of Pakistan. Quaid-E-Azam worked hard for a state for the Muslims in India so they could live freely. I have no problem with India. We're neighbors but then again we're neighbors to a number of countries. Just because we were once a part of India does not mean we still share similarities with it more than we may do with any other country in the world.

Sharing similarities is not a tabboo. I dont think there is anything wrong with accepting that. If you can be peaceful neighbours why not. USA and Canada have much more similarities than India and Pak have, but they are still independant nations, with a relationship based on mutual trust and they both have their own identity. I don't see anything wrong with what she has written.

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After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says W T F!!!!

I will agree with Fatima Bhutto to a certain extent. As far as the general populace is concerned we have more similarities than differences. Its not a hindu/muslim thing when in a country where we have fought 3 wars in the past is home to more muslims than our country......Had there been no partition...aaaaaaah........well lets stick to the topic or this will take too long. You see the problem has always been the respective govts of india and pak, and the issue of kashmir. Today is Feb5, Kahmir day but really how many kasmiris actually want to join pakistan let alone india....the want to get rid of the clutches and interventions from both the parties..... but not to be. Its all politics in the end, they play their bharat mata card when the need arises and we the muslim ummah card when needed.Logon ko sirf aik stable daily routine ki zaroorat hay jo kay ahista ahista khatam ho raha hay.Its all about the money...........If u can keep u're people economically happy with them going to movies, shopping, other venues pf pleasure, whereever for entertainment, ppl wont crib so much....... But u have to deliver.$15 million spent on constructing 1 JF17 fighter.....useless in these cicumstances when so much corruption, lawlessness and suicide bombing r on the rise as never before.Real issues should be catered. The failure of K.E.S.C is in huge proportions and so is KWSB....WTF has M.Q.M done inthe past yrs!?! I wonder.........I am really mad right now. don't want to break one of my typing pads....................Bahut Khoon Baha tha in 1947, sahi hua ya ghalat hua partition......mein nahi parta us argument mein......laikin yaaro US KHOON KO KABHI NAHIN BHOOLNA............KABHI NAHI........US KHOON KI LAAJ ZAROOR RAKHNA...........

To straighten out Pakistan as a country and Pakistanies as nation, I think we should hand over Pakistan back to the British Kindgom, and let them rule on us for another 100 years. Trust me, we will work honestly like pet dogs when gora starts ruling upon us.
After sixty years of freedom, I am convinced that this herd of sheep that we call pakistani nation is NOT capable of running their own country. I am sure we will be much more productive and beneficial to each other if we are ruled by outsiders.

That is a very demeaning thing to say...........and not entirely true

Having more muslims does not matter as they are not the majority and cannot freely practice Islam. Although some may say otherwise blah blah they cannot justify it being more Islamic of nature than Pakistan.

What % of Muslims are there in Pakistan and what % are there in India?.

India has more ppl thus it does not make it any more Islamic than us.

Have u seen the media and movies which show the angst and pathetic state of ppl who are muslims and living in India?

I know a few indian muslims too who , khair id rather not comment.

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“Be careful what you wish for, you might actually get it.”

Just thought I'd point out India doesn't have more muslims then Pakistan anymore zeitgest.

India and Pakistan are siblings? Well if that is true then we certainly know who the evil twin is!

I have no idea why people make such comments. Sure there are some similarities but how does that make us sibling countries?

Fatima Bhutto is still young so she dosent knows what she is talking about.