Jump to content

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 76.65.128.198 (talk) at 08:44, 20 December 2011 (→‎See also). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bilawal Zardari Bhutto
Bilawal at the Women's World Award 2009
Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Assumed office
30 December 2007
Serving with Asif Ali Zardari
Preceded byBenazir Bhutto
Personal details
Born (1988-09-21) 21 September 1988 (age 35)
Karachi, Pakistan
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party
RelationsBenazir Bhutto (mother)
Asif Ali Zardari (father)
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (grandfather)
Murtaza Bhutto (uncle)
Residence(s)Karachi, Pakistan
Oxford, United Kingdom
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford
WebsitePPP website

Bilawal Zardari Bhutto (Urdu: بلاول بھٹو زرداری, born 21 September 1988) is the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He is the only son of President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Early life and education

Bilawal was born on 21 September 1988. He is the son of Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto. He was three months old when his mother first became Prime Minister.[2]

Bilawal was admitted in the prestigious Aitichison College Lahore, but due to some security problems he could not continue. Instead he went to Karachi Grammar School during his mother’s second term in office as Prime Minister. He also 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.[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

Bilawal matriculated at Christ Church, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, in mid-2007, to study modern history, studying British history before transitioning to 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 studies 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]

In 2011 Bilawal returned to Pakistan[20] and became more prominent in politics, notably when his father went for medical care to Dubai in December 2011.[21]

Tumandar of Zardari Baloch tribe

In 2011 it was announced that Bilawal would be the next Tumandar (Chief) of the Zardari Tribe Of Baloch 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. A formal ceremony would be held later.[22]

Personal life

Bilawal has two younger sisters — Bakhtawar and Asifa. His name means "one without equal". His first language is English, but he can also speak Arabic and Urdu.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for resurrection of Quaid's Pakistan". pakmission-uk.gov.pk. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Benazir's son regrets he couldn't play cricket". The Times of India. 30 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  3. ^ "PPP chairman Bilawal leaves for Oxford". Sify News. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  4. ^ Masood, Salman (23 November 2004). "After 8 Years in Jail, Husband of Bhutto Is Free". nytimes.com. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  5. ^ Robinson, Simon (29 December 2007). "Bhutto's Successor". time.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  6. ^ a b 12:01AM GMT 31 Dec 2007 (31 December 2007). "Profile: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Britten, Nick (1 January 2008). "Security assessment for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  8. ^ Wilkinson, Isambard (9 September 2008). "Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as Pakistan president". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  9. ^ "Profile: Bilawal Bhutto". BBC News. 30 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  10. ^ Britten, Nick (1 January 2008). "Security assessment for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  11. ^ Sengupta, Somini (31 December 2007). "Opposition Parties Vow to Proceed With Jan. 8 Election". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  12. ^ a b c "Bhutto's Son, Husband To Lead Party". cbsnews.com. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  13. ^ a b Walsh, Declan (1 January 2008). "Zardari Rejects Claim of Al-Qaida Link to Bhutto's Murder". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  14. ^ a b Sengupta, Somini (31 December 2007). "Opposition Parties Vow to Proceed With Jan. 8 Election". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  15. ^ a b "What's the Deal with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?". npr.org. 31 December 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  16. ^ "Bhutto's Son Given Top Party Job". Sky News. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  17. ^ Walsh, Declan (31 December 2007). "My mother said democracy is best revenge — Bhutto son". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  18. ^ "Key party role for Bhutto's son". The Press Association. 30 December 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2007.
  19. ^ "Bilawal's security to cost Britain 1 million pounds". Rediff. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  20. ^ Pakistan Peoples Party
  21. ^ Jason Burke (13 December 2011). "Zardari treated for stroke as son Bilawal is groomed for power in Pakistan". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  22. ^ "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to be new chief of Zardari tribe Formal tribal ceremony of Dastar Bandi". asianetpakistan.com. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Party political offices
Preceded by Co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
2007–present
With Asif Ali Zardari 		Incumbent

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bilawal_Bhutto_Zardari&oldid=466832502"