On November 30, 2020, at an opposition’s mammoth rally in the central city of Pakistan, the internet was abuzz when there was the advent of a young leader the heir of family glory; pioneering in democracy, human rights, sustainable development and peace made a great debut and she made history while following footsteps of her parents, late mother in particular. People from all walks of life hailed it widely. Celebrities, sympathizers, staunch supporters and die-hard followers are happy to see her uncanny resemblance with her late mother. And why not? She is Benazir Bhutto’s biological child after all.
Medical Science says children often look like some combination of their parents. This is because each parent gives the child some of themselves in the form of genes. A child is made from the information found in the cells of the parents. These characteristics are called genes.
The traits that you can observe in a person are called that person’s phenotype. For example, if we see a boy or a girl when they are born that is what their phenotypes are. The information that makes a person look the way they do is encoded in structures called chromosomes that are found in their cells. The specific genes found on these chromosomes make up what is called that person’s genotype. Genotypes are what genes a baby has.
At her political debut, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was warmly welcomed as the true heir of Shaheed Zulfiqar Bhutto and democracy in Pakistan.
In humans, each person has two copies of each type of chromosome. That means they have two copies of each gene, but a person will give only one of these genes to their child. For example, a person could have a gene for brown hair and a gene for blond hair. He would give one of those traits to his child. The child’s phenotype would depend on what gene he received from his other parent.
So children look like combinations of their parents because they are. Each parent gives half of their genetic material to their children. The combination makes a unique combination of their parent’s genes. The scientific study of how traits are passed from parents to children is called ‘genetics’. Chromosomes in the nucleus of the cell contain information on the inheritance of features from parents to the next generation in the form of DNA molecules.
It is also worth mentioning that Aseefa Bhutto Zardari is a blessing. Allah chose her as the first child in Pakistan to be administered Polio drops by her mother to eradicate polio from Pakistan and the world. Polio is a debilitating and life-threatening disease. A virus that can affect the brain and spinal cord, polio can cause paralysis or even death.
It Is not only about the attire and physical appearance of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari making the reflection of Benazir Bhutto but her achievements and contributions to democracy, human rights, healthcare and peace, etc. make her Benazir Bhutto truly ‘The reflection of Benazir Bhutto’.
In 1972, Benazir accompanied her father Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to the India-Pakistan Summit in Simla, and 93,000 war prisoners were released under the peace agreement. and throughout her life, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed worked for peace, human rights and democracy in Pakistan and abroad and world acknowledged her efforts and the UN Human Rights Award was conferred to her.
In the year 2011, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was made UN goodwill ambassador to eradicate polio and in 2013, she was honoured with a commemorative plaque by Rotary International for her efforts in the fight against polio. Having a Masters in Global Health from the University College London (UCL), UK. Currently, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari is the Rotary Ambassador and also the UN Ambassador for Polio Eradication in Pakistan. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari is contributing her best to execute the vision of her mother of a polio-free Pakistan to eradicate polio from Pakistan and the world.
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was the first Pakistani to address the Oxford Union and at the age of 21, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari became the youngest Pakistani to address the Oxford Union. She is also the second Pakistani after her mother to address the Oxford Union.
At her political debut, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed was warmly welcomed as the true heir of Shaheed Zulfiqar Bhutto and democracy in Pakistan, and when Aseefa Bhutto Zardari made her great political debut, the internet buzzed with ‘Aseefa is Benazir’
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto contributed her role to democracy, human rights, and peace, and improving the conditions of women, the marginalized and the underprivileged in Pakistan. Again, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari as her true reflection contributed to her role for the entire humanity worldwide. She takes an active role globally and works with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and better.
Her skydive, ‘Jump for Humanity’, from an altitude of 13000 ft. to raise funds to support the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines is a testament to her commitment to helping humanity. She also raised funds to help Haiyan victims. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari holds the honour of being the first Pakistani to address the mammoth crowd at the Global Citizen Festival 2012 held in the United States of America where she urged the global community, on the behalf of Pakistani government and nation, to extend help and cooperation to eradicate polio from Pakistan.
Last but not least, I must share the scientific basis of ‘Reflection of Benazir Bhutto’ that the leadership qualities are about 70 per cent predetermined by biological factors (genetic and physiological ones), the remaining 30 per cent or so coming from external circumstances and events that happen to a person in the course of life. These events lead to the accumulation of unique individual experiences. This process begins in early childhood and continues throughout life. We know that most of the connections between neurons, the basic working units of the brain, take place between birth and age three.
By both nature and nurture Aseefa Bhutto Zardari is the ‘Reflection of Benazir Bhutto’. She is the current First Lady of Pakistan and a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. The great daughter of the great mother. Pakistan Khappay (Long live Pakistan)!
The writer is a senior journalist and TV analyst.