Fatima’s cousin Sassi, the daughter of Benazir’s second brother Shahnawaz -- who was found dead in France when he was 27 -- is visiting Pakistan, reportedly at Fatima’s invitation, and there are talks that Fatima is trying to reorganise factions of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Fatima, who has been critical of Benazir’s son Bilawal taking over the PPP mantle following his mother’s assassination in December last year, has established contact with senior politician Elahi Buksh Soomro and sought his cooperation in reorganising the party.

Her spokesman Inayat Bhatti has, however, brushed aside reports that the young Bhuttos were planning to launch a new version of the PPP or that Sassi is on a political visit to Pakistan. “Its Sassi’s right to visit her country anytime and go to any place,” Bhatti told reporters when asked why Sassi had never visited the country earlier.

The invitation extended to Sassi is surprising because even though Fatima and Sassi’s mothers are sisters, Fatima has refused to have any connection with her biological mother Fauzia or any link with Sassi. Since the age of five, Fatima has lived with her stepmother Ghinwa and has often talked about how Benazir persuaded her biological mother to return to Karachi to seek parental custody after her father’s death.

“It was just vulgar and crude,” Fatima often said of her meeting with her biological mother. “I was in biology class in ninth grade. Then the principal came and said, ‘There’s a woman here who claims to be your mother’.” Fatima said she locked herself in the nurse’s office as the press swarmed outside.