Pakistan News | Aseefa Bhutto: From Daughter To First Lady - President Zardari's Historic Move

A historic decision has reportedly been made by Pakistan President Asif Zardari to formally recognize his 31-year-old daughter Aseefa Bhutto as the First Lady of the country, according to a media report.

Traditionally, the status of the First Lady is attributed to the wife of the President, but this position remained vacant after Zardari's wife and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007.

Aseefa Bhutto: From Daughter To First Lady

Despite being a widower, Zardari did not remarry, and the role of the First Lady remained unfilled during his first tenure as the country's president from 2008 to 2013. Zardari, 68, was recently sworn in as the country's 14th President, and during his oath-taking ceremony at the President's House in Islamabad, he was accompanied by his youngest daughter, Aseefa.

Sources suggest that President Zardari decided to declare Aseefa Bhutto as the first lady of Pakistan, as repotted by PTI. This decision gained significance when Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the eldest daughter, tagged Aseefa in a post on X, referring to her as "First Lady of Pakistan" in the tweet.

Additionally, the Bhutto family-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) hinted at Zardari's decision regarding the first lady of Pakistan in a post on X, posing the question of who would hold the position after Zardari's oath-taking ceremony, where he was accompanied by his youngest child, Aseefa.

Who will be the first lady of Pakistan? This is the question on many people’s minds after #PresidentAsifAliZardari took oath as 14th President of Pakistan after having been accompanied by his youngest child @AseefaBZ as he was ushered to his oath-taking.
https://t.co/kqUTflj5Qd

— Samina Zardari (@SaminaAZardari) March 11, 2024

According to well-informed sources cited by ARY News, this significant decision to elevate Aseefa to the prestigious position of First Lady marks a notable chapter in the nation's political history. After the official declaration, Aseefa will be accorded the protocol and privileges befitting the First Lady. During Zardari's first term, Aseefa was a teenager.

Aseefa's active involvement in the PPP's electoral campaign in the run-up to the February 8 polls, where she was seen leading various rallies to seek support for her brother Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the party's former Prime Ministerial candidate, has been noted.

Aseefa made her political debut at a PPP rally in Multan on November 30, 2020. There have been instances from foreign countries where presidents, who were widowers, have designated their daughters, sisters, and even nieces to assume the role of the first lady.

Former US president Andrew Jackson, who was a widower, had his niece Emily Donelson serve as the country's First Lady. Additionally, two other US presidents -- Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland -- had their sisters assume the role of First Lady.