Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Urdu/Sindhi: بلاول بھٹو زرداری, born 21 September 1988) is the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Central Executive Committee. He is the only son of former President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Early life and education
Bilawal was born at Lady Dufferin Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan on 21 September 1988,as the first of three children of future Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari who later became the President of Pakistan
in 2008. He was only three months old when his mother, Benazir Bhutto
became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988. He is also
the grandson of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.[2]Bilawal was admitted to Aitchison College, Lahore, but due to security threats he moved to Karachi Grammar School and later attended Froebel's International School in Islamabad.[3] He left Pakistan with his mother in April 1999. His father was in jail in Pakistan from 1996 to 2004 for corruption charges.[4]He spent his childhood in Dubai and London during his family's self-exile.[2] He later attended Rashid School For Boys in Dubai, where he was Vice President of the student council.[5] He has a black belt in Taekwondo but regrets he could not play cricket because of his family circumstances.[2]
Oxford University
In 2007, Bilawal bhutto enrolled at Christ Church, a constituent college of the University of Oxford to study modern history. He studied British history and later transitioned to study general history.[6] Benazir also enrolled him in the Oxford Union debating society.[7]
In December 2007, he returned to Pakistan after Benazir was
assassinated. He also returned to Pakistan in September 2008 to witness
his father sworn in as President of Pakistan.[8] Bilawal completed his education in June 2010.[9][10][11]
Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party
Appointment
After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Benazir's political will declared Asif Ali Zardari as Benazir's successor for party leadership.[12][13][14] However, Bilawal became Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
because Zardari favoured Bilawal to represent Bhutto's legacy in part
to avoid division within the party due to Zardari's own unpopularity.[12][13][15] Zardari planned to act as co-chairman of the PPP for at least three years until Bilawal completed his studies overseas.[12][14][15]Bilawal was appointed chairman of the PPP on 30 December 2007.[16] Asif Zardari also announced Bilawal's name change from "Bilawal Zardari" to "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari".[17] At that time he was still studying at Oxford.[18] It had been estimated that Bilawal's security at Oxford may cost at least one million pounds each year.[19]
Chairman of the PPP
In 2011, Bilawal returned to Pakistan[20]
and became more actively involved in Pakistan politics, notably when
his father went for medical care to Dubai in December 2011.[21]
In May 2012, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that Pakistan asked the
Interpol to issue a "red warrant" against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in relation to his mother’s assassination case.[22]
He made his major public speech on 27 December 2012, which marked the
fifth death anniversary of his late mother, Benazir Bhutto.[23]
Tumandar of Zardari Baloch tribe
In 2011, it was announced that Bilawal would be the next Tumandar (Chief) of the Baloch Zardari tribe
as his father Asif Ali Zardari passed on the title to Bilawal rather
than becoming the Tribal Chief himself after the death of his father Hakim Ali Zardari.[24]
Personal life
Bilawal has two younger sisters, Bakhtawar and Asifa. His name means
"one without equal". He can speak English, Sindhi and Urdu. [6]
Qualification for National Assembly
In 2013 Bilawal turned 25, thus becoming eligible to run for the National Assembly, as the Pakistan Constitution requires the minimum age of lawmakers to be 25. Asif Ali Zardari
rejected the notion that Bilawal might run for the by-election seat but
said that he will contest the next general election due in 2018. [25]
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