Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Encyclopedia
Bilawal Zardari Bhutto is the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
. He is the only son of President
Asif Ali Zardari
and former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto
.
and Benazir Bhutto
. He was three months old when his mother first became Prime Minister.
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. He left Pakistan with his mother in April 1999. His father was in jail in Pakistan from 1996 to 2004 for corruption.
He spent his childhood in Dubai and London during his family's self-exile. He later attended Rashid School For Boys
in Dubai
, where he was Vice President of the student council. He has a black belt
in Taekwondo
but regrets he could not play cricket
because of his family circumstances.
, a constituent college of the University of Oxford
, in mid-2007, to study modern history, studying British history
before transitioning to general history. Benazir also enrolled him in the Oxford Union
debating society. 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. Bilawal completed his studies in June 2010.
because Zardari favoured Bilawal to represent Bhutto's legacy in part to avoid division within the party due to Zardari's own unpopularity. Zardari planned to act as co-chairman of the PPP for at least three years until Bilawal completed his studies overseas.
Bilawal was appointed chairman of the PPP on 30 December 2007. Asif Zardari also announced Bilawal's name change from "Bilawal Zardari" to "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari".
. A formal ceremony would be held later.
and Urdu
.
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
. He is the only son of President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
and former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
.
Early life and education
Bilawal was born on 21 September 1988. He is the son of Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
and Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
. He was three months old when his mother first became Prime Minister.
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
Karachi Grammar School
Karachi Grammar School is an independent, highly selective, coeducational, English-medium school in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.Established in 1847 by the Reverend Henry Brereton, the first chaplain of Karachi, as a school for "English and Anglo-Indo children", it is the oldest private school in...
during his mother’s second term in office as Prime Minister. He also attended Froebel's International School
Froebel's International School
Froebel's International School is a school located in Pakistan with branches in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. It was founded in 1975 by Mrs. Zamir. It started with ten students and four faculty members but now has grown to three campuses in three cities...
in Islamabad. He left Pakistan with his mother in April 1999. His father was in jail in Pakistan from 1996 to 2004 for corruption.
He spent his childhood in Dubai and London during his family's self-exile. He later attended Rashid School For Boys
Rashid School For Boys
Rashid School For Boys is located in the Nad Al Sheba community of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.RSB follows a British curriculum.- About The School :...
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, where he was Vice President of the student council. He has a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
in Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
but regrets he could not play cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
because of his family circumstances.
Oxford University
Bilawal matriculated at Christ ChurchChrist Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, a constituent college of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, in mid-2007, to study modern history, studying British history
History of the British Isles
The history of the British Isles has witnessed intermittent periods of competition and cooperation between the people that occupy the various parts of Great Britain, Ireland, and the smaller adjacent islands, which together make up the British Isles, as well as with France, Germany, the Low...
before transitioning to general history. Benazir also enrolled him in the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
debating society. 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. Bilawal completed his studies in June 2010.
Appointment
After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Benazir's political will declared Asif Ali Zardari as Benazir's successor for party leadership. However, Bilawal became Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples PartyPakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
because Zardari favoured Bilawal to represent Bhutto's legacy in part to avoid division within the party due to Zardari's own unpopularity. Zardari planned to act as co-chairman of the PPP for at least three years until Bilawal completed his studies overseas.
Bilawal was appointed chairman of the PPP on 30 December 2007. Asif Zardari also announced Bilawal's name change from "Bilawal Zardari" to "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari".
Future
Bilawal intended to complete his studies at Oxford before returning to lead the party full-time. It had been estimated that Bilawal's security at Oxford would cost at least one million pounds each year.Tumandar of Zardari tribe
In 2011 it was announced that Bilawal would be the next Tumandar (Chief) of the 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 ZardariHakim Ali Zardari
Hakim Ali Zardari was an industrialist and a landlord from Sindh, Pakistan. He belonged to a Baloch family settled in Sindh. He was the father of current Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and father in law of late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Hakim Ali Zardari was married to Dr...
. A formal ceremony would be held later.
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 ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.