Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari Elected as MNA from Shaheed Benazirabad

Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the daughter of Asif Ali Zardari, was elected as a member of the National Assembly. She was elected unopposed from NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah) on Friday. 

This seat was vacated by her father, Asif Ali Zardari, after he was elected as the president. There was a speculation that President Zardari was going to make Aseefa the new first lady. The PPP has already started referring to her with that title.

According to Dawn, Aseefa had filed her nomination papers to contest the by-election on March 17 and her candidature was subsequently approved by the returning officer (RO) after the scrutinisation process on Thursday.

According to a notification issued by the RO, three candidates withdrew their names from the contest for the by-poll. The candidates included Abdul Rasool Brohi, Amanullah and Mairaj Ahmed.

After getting elected as MNA, in her first reaction Aseefa said she was "grateful and honoured" to have been elected unopposed from the constituency.

"I pledge to serve all my constituents to the best of my abilities, with dedication and irrespective of political affiliation," she said in a post on X.

She thanked the people of her constituency, PPP workers and media organisations for their "presence and support".

Her brother PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and sister Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, also congratulated her. Bakhtawar said that Nawabshah was already celebrating the victory, adding that she could not be prouder of PPP’s newest lawmaker.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar also congratulated Aseefa on her unopposed election, adding that her win was a source of joy for all PPP workers.

Aseefa, the third and last child of late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology and a master’s in global health and development. She initially served as a goodwill ambassador for polio eradication in 2012 which made her face familiar among masses.

She played a pivotal role in politics in recently held general elections when she ran an aggressive election campaign for her brother PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other party candidates in Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Naushahro Feroze districts.

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