Is Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari formally joining politics?

ISLAMABAD: Is Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari’s participation in the Multan public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) the formal launch in politics of another progeny of the illustrious assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto?

“Aseefa will be present on the occasion to represent the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who has contracted Covid-19 and has isolated himself in Karachi,” former PPP Senator Sehar Kamran told The News when contacted.

She said although Bilawal will be addressing the rally via video link from Karachi, Aseefa’s physical presence will quash unnecessary speculation that the PPP has even slightly distanced itself from the event. “We don’t want to give rise to needless speculation and rumours.”

However, Sehar Kamran denied that Aseefa’s participation amounted to her formal launch in politics. “She has already been taking part in various political activities. Since she is the daughter of Benazir Bhutto, she has to be a Benazir.”

Much before Bilawal had taken a formal plunge into politics, Asif Ali Zardari had repeatedly talked about his son’s involvement in politics and his future stewardship of the PPP. As Bilawal completed his studies, he jumped into the political arena and has since been active to revive the PPP in areas where it has suffered losses.

Some time ago, the family patriarch, Asif Zardari, seemed to have taken a decision that Bilawal will run the PPP while Aseefa will assist him in politics where needed. However, his elder daughter, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, would stay away from politics. For this reason, Bakhtawar has not been seen at political events organised by the PPP for a long time.

After Zardari’s illness and earlier incarceration, Bilawal has been spearheading the PPP almost single-handedly. He alone ran the party’s campaign for the general elections to the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly where the PPP stood first in terms of number of popular votes among all the political parties.

In his lifetime, especially when he was behind bars during General Ziaul Haq’s regime, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had also patronised and groomed Benazir Bhutto from amongst his children to come into politics at a very difficult time for the party as well as for the Bhutto family. Although Begum Nusrat Bhutto was the formal chair of the PPP during his imprisonment, Benazir Bhutto had effective control over the party not only during the martial law period but subsequently as well.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had kept his two sons and other daughter away from politics. Murtaza Bhutto did eventually form his own political party but he could not get much room in the political field compared to his sister, who became prime minister twice.

She was all set to win the parliamentary polls once more to become the prime minister for a third time but was tragically assassinated as she was leaving the venue of her campaign rally in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi.

In view of this family history, if Aseefa formally joins politics from the PPP platform it will not be a surprising development.