Zardaris hold record of most lawmakers from same family in Pakistan

LAHORE: The Zardari family has broken the record of the most number of lawmakers in Pakistan's parliamentary history from the same family after President Asif Ali Zardari's daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was elected a member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the Shaheed Benazirabad (former Nawabshah-I) constituency on Friday.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified Aseefa's election as MNA without any contest, after she won the by-poll on NA-207.

At least eleven candidates, including Zardari’s younger daughter, had filed their nomination papers to contest the by-election on the seat vacated by President Zardari who assumed office after being jointly nominated by the ruling coalition.

The Zardari family has, therefore, broken the record of the Sharif family as it now comprises the most number of members from the same family in the country’s parliamentary history.

Both the political families have mostly ruled Pakistan for quite some time, strengthening dynastic politics in the country, as they have been alleged of giving priority to their family members when distributing tickets ahead of elections.

Now, Zardari himself is the country's president, his daughter Aseefa, son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and brother-in-law Munawar Ali Talpur are MNAs, while both sisters Faryal Talpur and Azra Pechuho are members of the provincial assembly in Sindh.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's elder brother Mian Nawaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif have been elected MNAs, while his niece Maryam Nawaz Sharif is the chief minister of Punjab.

Thus, in terms of having the greatest number of family members elected as MNA or MPA, the Zardari family is the first, while the Sharifs stand second.