Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari has made her political debut in Pakistan by taking her oath as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) on Monday amidst chaos from opposition benches. She was elected unopposed from NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad on March 29 and filled the seat vacated by her father, Asif Ali Zardari, after his presidency.
“President Asif Ali Zardari congratulating Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on taking the oath as Member of the National Assembly, in Islamabad,” Asif Ali Zardari posted on X. Her oath was administered amid opposition from PTI-associated MNAs, who protested due to the arrest of their NA-207 candidate, Ghulam Mustafa Rind, claiming unfair treatment.
Some facts about Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari:
- Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was born in February 1993 and is the youngest daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (who was assassinated in 2007) and two-time Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. Her brother, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is the Chairman of PPP and served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs between April 2022 and August 2023. Her aunt Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho is the former Sindh Health Minister.
- She studied at Oxford Brookes University, University College London, and the University of Edinburgh.
- She made her political debut at a PPP rally in 2020, following in the footsteps of her family’s political legacy.
- After Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan, reports claimed that Aseefa Bhutto Zardari could potentially be announced as Pakistan’s First Lady. The title is typically given to the President’s wife and she would receive the protocol and privileges befitting the First Lady. However, it has not been confirmed officially.
- Ms Bhutto-Zardari was the first baby in Pakistan to be vaccinated against polio. She is now the country’s Ambassador for polio eradication.
