DAWN Archive: Goodbye Shahzadi (Book Review)

BB's Cordon Bleu
By Anjum Niaz

Journalist Shyam Bhatia's entitlement to being in Benazir Bhutto's cordon bleu is hotly disputed. (The word originated from the sky-blue ribbon worn as a badge by knights of the highest order of the French knighthood under the Bourbons.)

In BB's case, the only people entitled to such a distinction are her hardcore circle of Oxford friends. I called up one of them in London to comment. Victoria Schofield succeeded BB as the President of the Oxford Union in 1977. Their friendship spans a period of 33 years. Up at Oxford I don't remember meeting Shyam nor did Benazir ever mention him as a close friend," she said.

Bashir Riaz, better known as 'Bash' by BB and all who know him is another angry man today. "Bhatia would never dare call BB 'Shahzadi'or 'Pinkie' nor did she give him open access as he claims. Bhatia used to pester me to arrange a meeting with BB. He would call me several times a day. If he was so close to her as he wants the reader to believe, why did he always have to go through me?"