Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as the country’s 14th president on Sunday and the question that is on people’s minds is who is going to be the first lady of Pakistan?
According to ARY News , President Asif Zardari will announce the formal recognition of his youngest daughter, Asifa Bhutto Zardari, as the First Lady of the country .
President Zardari, during his oath-taking ceremony at the President’s House in Islamabad was accompanied by Aseefa Bhutto.
Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the eldest daughter, tagged Aseefa Bhutto in a tweet on Sunday in which she could be seen accompanying her father to the oath-taking ceremony.
The text read: “From accompanying President Asif Zardari to all his court hearings to fighting for his release from jail — now by his side as First Lady of Pakistan” and added Aseefa’s name at the end.”
A first lady is the president’s wife, however, in this case, President Zardari is a widower after his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was martyred in 2007.
Since then, the president did not remarry and the position of the first lady also remained vacant during his first tenure as the country’s president — from 2008 to 2013.
Notably, this will be the first time that a Pakistani President has announced his daughter for the position of First Lady, as normally the title is given to the President’s wife.
This landmark move elevates Asifa Bhutto to the prestigious position of First Lady, marking a significant chapter in the nation’s political history. After the official declaration, Asifa Bhutto Zardari will be given the protocol and privileges befitting the First Lady.
This decision is particularly noteworthy as Asifa Bhutto is set to become the first daughter of a president to hold the title of First Lady.
31 years old Aseefa Aseefa made her political debut at a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rally in Multan on November 30, 2020.
She had actively been involved in the party’s electoral campaign in the run-up to the February 8 polls and was seen leading various rallies in a bid to seek support for her brother Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — the party’s then-candidate for the prime minister’s post.
Aseefa made her political debut at a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rally in Multan on November 30, 2020.
There are many instances from foreign countries when presidents, who were widowers, had asked their daughters, sisters and even nieces to become their first lady.
Former United States president Andrew Jackson, who was a widower, had asked his niece Emily Donelson to serve as the country’s first lady. Moreover, two other US presidents — Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland — asked their sisters to serve as first lady.