Benazir Bhutto’s youngest daughter Aseefa takes oath as Pakistan Member of Parliament

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the youngest daughter of the late former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, officially entered the political arena on Monday by taking oath as a Member of Parliament. Last month, she secured an uncontested victory in the National Assembly from NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad in her native Sindh province, succeeding her father, Asif Ali Zardari, who vacated the seat upon his election as President. Aseefa, 31, was sworn in by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, amid applause from her Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) colleagues. However, her political debut faced immediate legal scrutiny when her victory was challenged in the Sindh High Court by Ghulam Mustafa Rind, an independent candidate supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, alleging irregularities in the electoral process. Rind claimed he was unfairly barred from contesting the polls, citing improper rejection of his nomination papers and bureaucratic hurdles, such as demands for documents like electricity bills, despite his village lacking access to electricity.

Aseefa, who holds degrees in politics and sociology as well as global health and development, rose to prominence in 2012 as a goodwill ambassador for polio eradication, fostering familiarity among the public. The daughter of the late President Zardari and Benazir Bhutto, Aseefa was earmarked by her father for a prominent role, even being projected as a potential First Lady of Pakistan. As one of Benazir’s three children, Aseefa’s political journey carries the weight of her family’s legacy, particularly given her striking resemblance to her mother, endearing her to PPP supporters.