ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), with its long political history and current standing as possibly a “king’s party” with 54 National Assembly (NA), is considering fielding Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari in parliamentary politics, The News reported on Sunday, citing sources.
Aseefa, the daughter of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari, was actively involved in the party’s electoral campaign in the run-up to the February 8 polls, leading various rallies to rally support for her brother Bilawal Bhutto, the party’s then-candidate for Prime Minister.
According to sources, Bilawal and party Co-Chairman Zardari would decide by next week on the constituency from which Aseefa Bhutto Zardari will contest the by-elections to begin her parliamentary career.
So yet, the party has not determined whether she will run from the Shahdadkot constituency, where Bilawal was elected to the National Assembly, as the PPP chairman is expected to resign that seat while maintaining his Larkana seat.
She may also run in the by-elections from Nawabshah, where her father, Asif Ali Zardari, was elected MNA. Zardari would vacate that seat upon his election as Pakistan’s president.
During the general election campaign, the PPP predicted that Aseefa would run in a by-election to fill the seat left vacant by his brother Bilawal, who had won two NA seats.
It should be recalled that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto previously ran in the Shahdadkot constituency.
Aseefa’s projected entry into legislative politics comes as the country prepares to appoint its first female chief minister, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominating Maryam Nawaz for Punjab’s chief executive position.
It remains to be seen how far Aseefa’s political career will lead her; nonetheless, her presence in parliament is expected to offer the PPP and Bilawal a considerable political boost.
