Aseefa Bhutto resumes parliamentary career

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Aseefa Bhutto Zardari yhjis week resumed here parliamentary career after an unopposed win in Shaheed Benazirabad by-election.

Aseefa was declared as a Member of the National Assembly after all the rival candidates withdrew from the contest.

This marked Aseefa’s ascension to the National Assembly, a seat for which 11 candidates, including Aseefa, initially filed their nomination papers for the by-election.

This seat had been vacated by President Asif Ali Zardari, who was elected as the President of Pakistan by the ruling coalition.

Out of the 11 initial contenders, three withdrew their nominations yesterday while seven others had their nominations rejected by the electoral authorities.

Aseefa’s election as the National Assembly lawmaker followed her earlier declaration as the country’s “First Lady” when President Zardari assumed office as the 14th head of state.

The decision to recognize Aseefa as the “First Lady” was made by the President Zardari, also the PPP co-chairman, after consultations with party leaders, honoring her as a prominent member of the Bhutto family.

Traditionally, the “First Lady” is the wife of the president. However, in this unique circumstance, President Zardari, having lost his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, remained a widower and wanted to elevate his daughter to the slot.

Throughout his previous term as the country’s president from 2008 to 2013, the position of the “First Lady” remained vacant.

Aseefa’s role within the PPP and her political journey has now become prominent. Despite her youth during her father’s initial tenure as head of state, she has now matured into a 31-year-old young leader.

Aseefa actively participated in the party’s electoral campaigns leading up to the February 8 polls. She took charge of various rallies, rallying support for her brother, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was the party’s candidate for the prime ministerial position.

Her political debut occurred at a PPP rally in Multan on November 30, 2020, marking a significant step in her emerging role within the party and the broader political scene of Pakistan.

Aseefa attended Oxford Brookes University, University College London, and the University of Edinburgh to complete her education. Aseefa is also Pakistan’s Ambassador for polio eradication.