Pakistan, Dec. 19 -- I passed from childhood into the world of the adult. But what a disappointing world it turned out to be. The colours of the sky, the grass, and the flowers were gone, muted and greyish. Everything was blurred by the pattern over my eyes.

My father always would say my daughter will go into politics. My daughter will become prime minister, but it's not what I wanted to do. I would say, No, Papa, I will never go into politics.

When my father was imprisoned, then assassinated, I had no other choice but to continue in the work that he had started because so many of his followers wanted me to do so. I told him on my oath in his death cell, I would carry on his work. This is not the life I chose; it chose me . But I accept...