While writing my 2nd book, "My Benazir" - I used partial transcripts of my TV interviews with Benazir Bhutto from 1995 and 2006 ... I have included parts of my interviews with former Pakistani president Pervez Musharaf (and his wife), Shahbaz Sharif, Imran Khan ...
One of my editors asked: "The book mentions an additional TV interview you conducted with Bhutto ...Why did you choose, not to include parts of it as well? Did you think, using too many interviews, may hurt the flow?"
Good question!
The balance between being informative, yet engaging, creating suspense - is tricky.
But the question triggered me, to pull these tapes from 2001 interview and watch them. My producers and I didn't expect anything extra-ordinary. After all - "My Benazir" is already published. So we planned to go over it fast, just in case ...
In the 2001 interview, until Benazir started to answer my questions about the Swiss case against them ... At the time, her husband Asif Ali Zardari was in jail for several years. Benazir was living in exile (Dubai) with her three kids. She was very lonely, down ...She began replying to my questions about the ongoing litigation regarding the alleged millions she and Zardari had in Swiss banks...We couldn't believe what we watched: A candid Benazir admitting that ... We ran the tapes again ... Benazir was talking in details ... It looks like at one point, she forgot she was in a midst of a TV interview. She was laying the facts, arranging it while talking ... Separating her husband's actions from herself, saying: HIS guilt, HER responsibility ...
A fascinating historical document. And - how relevant to the current Pakistani politics.
Editing the tapes now.
One of my editors asked: "The book mentions an additional TV interview you conducted with Bhutto ...Why did you choose, not to include parts of it as well? Did you think, using too many interviews, may hurt the flow?"
Good question!
The balance between being informative, yet engaging, creating suspense - is tricky.
But the question triggered me, to pull these tapes from 2001 interview and watch them. My producers and I didn't expect anything extra-ordinary. After all - "My Benazir" is already published. So we planned to go over it fast, just in case ...
In the 2001 interview, until Benazir started to answer my questions about the Swiss case against them ... At the time, her husband Asif Ali Zardari was in jail for several years. Benazir was living in exile (Dubai) with her three kids. She was very lonely, down ...She began replying to my questions about the ongoing litigation regarding the alleged millions she and Zardari had in Swiss banks...We couldn't believe what we watched: A candid Benazir admitting that ... We ran the tapes again ... Benazir was talking in details ... It looks like at one point, she forgot she was in a midst of a TV interview. She was laying the facts, arranging it while talking ... Separating her husband's actions from herself, saying: HIS guilt, HER responsibility ...
A fascinating historical document. And - how relevant to the current Pakistani politics.
Editing the tapes now.
WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteJust saw a small clip of this...
It is as much as an admission of Asif's guilt of abuse of power!
As Benazir says in her own words - she really did "turn a blind eye."
Incredible....and sad....