WEB DESK: Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari has secured her seat in the National Assembly unopposed from NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah) on Friday.
According to media reports, the daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari, Aseefa filed her nomination papers for the by-election on March 17, with her candidacy approved by the returning officer (RO) after scrutiny on Thursday.
The reports said that the seat was vacated by her father upon his election as president. Meanwhile, speculation abounded that President Zardari had intended to designate Aseefa as the new first lady, a title already being used by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for her.
According to a notification from the RO, three candidates withdrew from the contest for the by-poll, including Abdul Rasool Brohi, Amanullah, and Mairaj Ahmed.
Expressing her gratitude for the uncontested election, Aseefa pledged to serve her constituents regardless of political affiliations. She thanked the people of her constituency, PPP workers, and media organizations for their support.
Her siblings, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, joined in congratulating her, with Bakhtawar expressing pride in the party’s newest lawmaker.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar also extended congratulations to Aseefa, noting her victory as a source of joy for all PPP workers.
Aseefa, with a bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology and a master’s in global health and development, gained familiarity among the masses as a goodwill ambassador for polio eradication in 2012. She played a key role in the recent general elections, leading an aggressive campaign for her brother, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and other party candidates in various districts.
