Aseefa Bhutto Zardari: First Lady of Pakistan, First child to be vaccinated against polio on first national immunization day
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari (born 3 February 1993) is a Pakistani politician who is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. She is the youngest daughter of Asif Ali Zardari, the current President of Pakistan, and Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Early Life and Education
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was born to Asif Ali Zardari and his wife, Benazir Bhutto, on 3 February 1993 in London. She was the first child vaccinated against polio on the country’s first National Immunization Day after her mother, then Prime Minister Bhutto, launched a major immunization drive in 1994. The Prime Minister personally administered the drops to Asifa as an endorsement of the campaign.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology from Oxford Brookes University and a master’s degree in global health and development from University College London in July 2016.
Career
In October 2009, her father, Asif Ali Zardari, who was then the President of Pakistan, appointed Aseefa Bhutto Zardari as Pakistan’s ambassador for the national polio eradication campaign. Her role as polio eradication ambassador in Pakistan has made her a familiar face to the general masses compared to her siblings.
During her tenure as an ambassador, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari conducted campaigns to eradicate the disease, engaged with officials, and visited families affected by polio. In 2013, she was honored with a commemorative plaque by Rotary International for her efforts in the fight against polio. At the age of 21, she became the youngest Pakistani to address the Oxford Union.
She made her political debut on 30 November 2020 at a rally in Multan. In 2022, during a PPP procession in Khanewal, she suffered minor injuries after being hit by a media drone. In June 2013, then-President Asif Ali Zardari disclosed that his three children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar, and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, would lead the PPP once he completed his presidential term on 9 September 2013.
Although he mentioned all three of his children, many party leaders believed that Aseefa Bhutto Zardari might take on a more prominent role compared to her elder siblings.
There was a perception among them that Zardari considered Asifa Zardari to be more politically astute than Bilawal and Bakhtawar. It was also observed that Aseefa Bhutto Zardari actively engaged in party affairs and was often seen alongside her father, unlike Bilawal, whom Zardari hoped would take on a more active role.
In May 2017, reports emerged indicating that in addition to Bilawal, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari would also enter the electoral race in the 2018 Pakistani general election. Her participation was anticipated due to her active involvement in various social and political debates and issues over time. Ahead of the 2018 election, the PPP suggested Asifa Bhutto’s name for contesting from either the NA-248 (Karachi West-I) or NA-223 (Matyari) constituency.
During the 2024 Pakistani general election, Asifa Bhutto Zardari played a pivotal role in the PPP’s campaign, leading rallies in support of her brother Bilawal, who was the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
On 10 March 2024, following the 2024 Pakistani presidential election, Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan. He announced the recognition of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the youngest daughter of Asif Ali Zardari as the First Lady of Pakistan, marking a significant deviation from his previous presidency (2008-2013), during which the position of the First Lady remained vacant after the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto. This decision marked the first time in Pakistan’s history that the president’s daughter, rather than his spouse, would hold the title of First Lady.
Parliamentary Career
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate. As of 2023, the National Assembly has a maximum membership of 336, with 266 directly elected and 70 reserved seats for women and religious minorities. Members serve a five-year term unless the house is dissolved earlier.
On 17 March 2024, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari announced her entry into electoral politics by submitting nomination papers to contest the by-election for the National Assembly seat from constituency NA-207 Nawabshah-I as a candidate of the PPP. This seat became vacant after her father, Asif Ali Zardari, who won the seat in the 2024 election, was elected as President of Pakistan.
A total of eleven candidates submitted nomination papers to contest the by-election in the constituency, with the majority being workers and office bearers of the PPP, who were viewed as covering candidates for Asifa Bhutto. On 29 March, she was elected unopposed to the National Assembly from the NA-207 constituency as the nomination papers of other candidates were either withdrawn in her favor or rejected. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that the nomination papers of its candidate, Ghulam Mustafa Rind, were unjustly rejected, followed by his arbitrary arrest by the police. PTI also alleged that Ghulam Mustafa Rind was coerced into withdrawing his nomination.
She was sworn in as a member of the National Assembly on 15 April 2024. On 16 April, she was granted the status of the First Lady of Pakistan.
Subsequently, Ghulam Mustafa Rind lodged a petition with the Sindh High Court (SHC) to contest Aseefa’s victory, alleging that despite being a candidate in the election, his nomination papers were unfairly dismissed and that he was unlawfully arrested by the Sakrand police.
In May 2024, her name surfaced in a data leak disclosing her ownership of properties in Dubai. She stated that the asset was legally acquired and already declared to relevant authorities.
The current National Assembly is the 16th National Assembly of Pakistan, formed in February 2024 after the 2024 Pakistani general election. The election was contested for alleged rigging. The 16th assembly has seen various political developments, including a large bloc of independent politicians backed by PTI using the Sunni Ittehad Council as a parliamentary vehicle and several reserved seats being suspended by the Supreme Court of Pakistan due to the reserved seats case.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s role in the National Assembly and her recognition as the First Lady of Pakistan highlight her emerging influence in national politics. With her active involvement in legislative matters and political campaigns, she is expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of the PPP and Pakistan’s political landscape.
Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari took oath as MNA
Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, daughter of ex-PM Benazir Bhutto, took oath as MNA from NA-207, vacated by her father, President Asif Ali Zardari. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath amid PPP celebrations and PTI-backed SIC protests, terming her election “selection.” President Zardari witnessed the ceremony, while opposition demanded judicial probes.