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What’s the Deal with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?

January 2nd, 2008 Sana · 15 Comments

Source: NPR

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 19-year-old son of the late Benazir Bhutto, has inherited the reins of her Pakistan Peoples Party.

News International editor Kamal Siddiqi reports from Karachi that the Oxford student is unlikely to be the party’s replacement candidate. While Bilawal finishes his studies, his father, Asif Ali Zardari, will act as co-chairman. And if parliamentary elections in Pakistan proceed as planned next month, and the party wins a majority, neither man is expected to be tapped as prime minister.

Siddiqi says Bilawal Zardari, who also now goes by Bilawal Bhutto, has no political training aside from what he learned by being around his mother. Benazir Bhutto was one of Pakistan’s most powerful and popular politicians, but Siddiqi says that’s no substitute for time spent in charge.

“He’s very young, he’s very inexperienced and he’s very untested,” Siddiqi says.

Leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party wanted an heir to the Bhutto political dynasty to take over the campaign, Siddiqi says.

“Bilawal is very young, and he needs someone to guide him,” he says. “In effect, it is the daddy who is the de facto chief of the party. But to appease the people and the voters and the party workers, Bilawal’s name has been announced as well at this stage.”

Asif Ali Zardari has been a controversial figure, nicknamed “Mister 10 Percent” by people who believed he took kickbacks on government contracts. He spent eight years in jail on corruption charges that Siddiqi says were never proven.

Siddiqi says people in Pakistan remain inspired by the Bhutto name, giving Bilawal Zardari a bright future.

“In every decade, one Bhutto has been killed in the name of democracy,” the editor says. “The Bhutto name, like the Kennedy name in the United States or the Gandhi name in India, that inspires a lot of people and that brings up a lot of feeling amongst people to vote for him.”

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15 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Sadia Ahmad // Jan 2, 2008 at 4:58 pm

    hi. i just want to convey my feelings that . i can see in Bilawal as a Pakistans future rulers. no doubt he s just a 19 years teen agers boy, but he s the son of Bhutto, and its means lot for him. he has to carry that burdon on his shoulders like a responsible mature politicions in his future. and our country no doubt needs a fresh young blood also. but in the mean time when he ll finish his studies, and besides he ll deffenately guided politics by others, espesially his father, so i hope that he ll be not only going to rule Pakistan just for his status,his seat but he ll be the right person for Pakistan and for Pakistanies. all my good hopes and wishes r vid him. Allah protect him and his family to enemies and gives him more courage. Ameen.

    Sadia Ahmad from Oslo, Norway.

  • 2 bilqees.. // Jan 2, 2008 at 9:57 pm

    yup sadia u r right…
    no oubt our country needs afresh young blood..
    now he has to continue his mothers (great leader benazir bhutto)message..v expect more 4rm bilawal..
    best of lucks 4 his studies..
    nd his political future..
    my prayers r with him..
    may allah always bless him..
    nd 1 thng more..
    thapay pay thapa treer pay thapa..
    as bb always said..
    take a lot of care of ur self bilawal..
    we all are with u..
    god blss u…
    amin..

  • 3 Haq-E-Pakistan // Jan 3, 2008 at 7:12 am

    Pakistan doen not need him. It needs better, from Pakistan even. Someone who cares for Pakistanis and knows Pakistanis.

    He is not even a Bhutto, he is a Zardari. Anyone can add Bhutto to a name, even you can if you want.

  • 4 Amir Khan // Jan 3, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Asif Ali Zardari “Mister 10 Percent” is not fit for any thing as he him self is corrucpt I dont think he his son is going to be better then him he will teach his son to “Become Mister 50 Percent,I wonder why People of Pakistan Cannot understand that Once Corrupt always corrucpt, Why do they want Vote for Corrucpt politicans Why Vote for Politicans who have been robbing Pakistan and only think to fill in thier own SWISS BANK accounts ,None of them tried to anything about the corrucption in the Police Force or any where in the country You cannot get anything done without Bribes Benazir robbed 2billon and so did Nawaz Sharif and Family why on eath our Public not understand they are thiefs , They think the Own the Country once the become Primenister or Prisedent So for the rest of the life thier family should be entitled to run the Country Pakistan Belongs to the Pakistani People Not Nawaz Sharif’s Family or The Bhutto Family, Why doesent any body look into the wealth of These Thiefs and think where did they get it from.

  • 5 Amer, Austin Tx // Jan 3, 2008 at 9:01 am

    if Asif Ali Zardari was Mr. 10 percent will Bilawal Zardari be Mr 5% or Mr 20% is yet to be seen.

  • 6 Sanam Mukhtar // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:48 am

    QUOTE:
    Amir Khan // Jan 3, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Asif Ali Zardari “Mister 10 Percent” is not fit for any thing as he him self is corrucpt I dont think he his son is going to be better then him he will teach his son to “Become Mister 50 Percent,I wonder why People of Pakistan Cannot understand that Once Corrupt always corrucpt, Why do they want Vote for Corrucpt politicans Why Vote for Politicans who have been robbing Pakistan and only think to fill in thier own SWISS BANK accounts ,None of them tried to anything about the corrucption in the Police Force or any where in the country You cannot get anything done without Bribes Benazir robbed 2billon and so did Nawaz Sharif and Family why on eath our Public not understand they are thiefs , They think the Own the Country once the become Primenister or Prisedent So for the rest of the life thier family should be entitled to run the Country Pakistan Belongs to the Pakistani People Not Nawaz Sharif’s Family or The Bhutto Family, Why doesent any body look into the wealth of These Thiefs and think where did they get it from.
    AND WE’LL COME TO KNOW WHAT MUSHARRAF ROBBED AND WHOM HE KILLED AFTER THAT DICTATOR WILL BE KICKED OFF FROM HIS PRESIDENT SEAT
    (LOLZ)

  • 7 Sanam Mukhtar // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:51 am

    bilqees and sadia.. I agree with you both..

  • 8 Haq-E-Pakistan // Jan 4, 2008 at 3:00 am

    Amir and Amer.. I agree with you both. Because you are both right.

  • 9 Shoaib // Jan 10, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    I could not find a single reason to agree with Bilqees and Sadia.
    If one has brain and he/she wants to use it then every one can understand that how can he be a good ruler of Pakistan. One who never stayed in Pakistan more than 2 or 3 months, how can that personality can lead the nation. And most of all, the influence of his curropt father, how can any one can neglect that thing?

  • 10 Sanam Mukhtar // Jan 10, 2008 at 2:49 pm

    Shoaib! once you are away from your country, you feel more love for your country. When we wish for something, we strive to get it, but when we get it, we don’t value it..

    Well I agree that his father was involved in corruption. I also dislike him but it is not mandatory that his son will also do the same. Five fingers are not equal friend. Everyone must be aware of the Uncle of our last prophet. It shows that in the same family, people might bear various characters. Well then also we can’t comment if Bilawal would be a good choice or not..It all depends on testing him first.

  • 11 Shoaib // Jan 11, 2008 at 3:15 pm

    Sanam, I agree with you that if once you are away from your country then you feel more love for it. I personally experienced this thing thats I know this, but this thing comes true only for such who borne in their country, have lots of family members and freinds, and countless other things. But what he has here? In his whole 19 yr life, how much time he spend in Pakistan?
    And the example you gave is completely contradictory, I dont want to go in to the details but I think you should revise your history information once again.

  • 12 PPP // Mar 28, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    I pray for Bilawal, for his long life & success.

  • 13 jermy // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:31 pm

    Ejaz ,
    This is very important to understand president of pakistan is a respectable portfolio, We must respect, I request to the our political leader to give the respect toGeneral Pervez Musharraf work with him, make easy to solve the problem of pakistani peoples,who is suffering in trouble ,
    and improve the currency value, Economy situtation is completly worst,Electriccity/water/Trafficjam so many problems we are facing No need to go against him,
    thanks ejaz

  • 14 A(*&^%$m!@$%^l // Mar 28, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    People who are commenting against Bilawal and are not residing in pakistan, they should just Shup Up cuz Bilawal is the most determined leader for Pakistan. And it doesn’t means the if Zardari was corrupt Bilawal would also be………………. infact I think he would learn from the mistakes that his father made!

  • 15 Amer, Austin Tx // Apr 30, 2008 at 4:08 am

    One thing i can say for sure with money back guarantee :-)
    Once Bilawal comes to power in Pakistan there will no more Pakistan as we know it…will it take turn for the better? im not betting on it since his father and the other thug are now in power with the power hungry military man already there. So its more like a Land grab now to see who can get his hands on how much.
    All in all my prediction is that in the next 10 years Pakistan will be to India what Mexico is to USA, people will be sneaking in-there to earn a living…wait that’s already going on. With the IT, artists, musicians, and cricket stars…
    Enjoy the ride on the Titanic (Pakistan) Zardari, Bilawal, Nawaz and Musharaf are the 4 headed captains of this sinking ship.

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