Benezir Bhutto’s sister files inheritance suit

The property includes a palatial house, 70-Clifton, in Karachi, and another house in Bhutto’s hometown of Larkana, known as Al-Murtaza. "My client also seeks equal share of ornaments, antiques, watches, carpets, precious books which belonged to her father," the lawyer said. The actual worth of the property is not known but it is estimated at millions of dollars.

Sanam, who has always remained aloof from her family’s involvement in politics, has appointed her aunt, Fakhri Begum, as attorney. She settled down in London after her father’s overthrow by the late military dictator General Zia ul Haq in 1977.

Sindh High Court judge Atta-ur Rehman has ordered the issuance of notices in the property case to six defendants, including Benazir Bhutto and her ailing mother, Nusrat Bhutto.The other defendants are Sanam’s two nieces, a nephew and her brother Murtaza’s Labenese born widow, Ghinwa.May 11 has been fixed for the preliminary hearing.

Benazir and Sanam are the only surviving children of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Their youngest brother, Shahnawaz, was found dead mysteriously in his Cannes apartment in France in 1985. The other brother, Murtaza, was killed in a police shootout in Karachi in 1996, two months before the dismissal of Benazir’s government.

Benazir’s husband, Asif Ali Zardari, has been on trial here on charges of involvement in an alleged conspiracy leading to the murder of Murtaza.Benazir is in exile in London after being convicted last year of corruption. Observers said the property case could further hurt the public image of the already deeply troubled political family.