Aseefa Bhutto to Assume Role of First Lady as President Asif Ali Zardari Takes Office
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi officially confirmed on Monday that Aseefa Bhutto, the daughter of the recently elected President Asif Ali Zardari, is poised to become the nation’s First Lady.
President Zardari, who was sworn in as the 14th head of state on Sunday following a resounding victory in the presidential election with 411 electoral votes, consulted with party leaders on the recognition of Aseefa Bhutto as the First Lady, according to Kundi.
The announcement comes after reports surfaced in the media indicating President Zardari’s intention to designate his daughter Aseefa as the first lady. Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the eldest daughter, shared an X post on Sunday featuring Aseefa accompanying her father to the oath-taking ceremony, expressing pride in her sister’s new role.
In a unique turn of events, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, at 31 years old, will step into the role traditionally held by the president’s wife. President Zardari is a widower since the tragic assassination of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in 2007. During his first tenure as the country’s president from 2008 to 2013, the position of the first lady remained vacant.
Aseefa’s political involvement has grown steadily, with her active participation in the party’s electoral campaign leading up to the February 8 polls. She played a pivotal role in rallying support for her brother Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was the party’s candidate for the prime minister’s post.
This decision echoes historical instances in Pakistan and abroad where widower presidents designated close family members as the first lady. Former military ruler Field Marshal Ayub Khan appointed his daughter Naseem Aurangzeb as the first lady in 1958, while in the United States, Presidents Andrew Jackson, Chester Arthur, and Grover Cleveland also chose close female relatives to serve in the role.
Aseefa Bhutto’s elevation to the position of First Lady is set to bring a distinctive perspective to the role, marking a departure from the conventional expectations associated with the position. An official announcement is expected soon to formalize this historic development.
