• She was among 11 who filed nominations for by-poll on Nawabshah seat vacated by Zardari
• PTI accuses police of ‘detaining’ independent candidate only to give walkover to PPP

NAWABSHAH: Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, youngest daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari, was elected unopposed as a member of the National Assembly from NA-207 (Nawabshah-I) after three candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Friday for the April 21 by-election.

As many as 11 candidates, including Ms Bhutto-Zardari, had filed their nomination papers on the NA seat that had fallen vacant following the election of Mr Zardari as the country’s president.

The returning officer (RO) had rejected nomination papers of seven candidates, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed Sardar Sher Mohammed Rind Baloch, due to various reasons. Tehreek Labaik Pakistan (TLP) candidate Saeed Ahmed Randhawa had filed an appeal against rejection of his papers but he had withdrawn the same.

On Friday, three remaining candidates — Abdul Rasool Brohi, Amanullah Solangi and Mairaj Ahmed Gopang — said to be the covering candidates for Ms Bhutto-Zardari, also withdrew their papers.

The RO, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ali Sher Jamali, issued Form-34, declaring PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari unopposed winner under Section 75(1) of the Election Act 2017.

Following the notification, a large number of party workers, supporters and notables gathered at Zardari House in Nawabshah to celebrate her first electoral victory.

“Grateful and honoured to have been elected unopposed as MNA NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad-I. I pledge to serve all my constituents to the best of my abilities, with dedication and irrespective of political affiliation,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

According to Dawn.com, she holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology and a master’s in global health and development. She initially served as a goodwill ambassador for polio eradication in 2012 which made her face familiar among masses.

She played a pivotal role in politics in the Feb 8 general elections when she ran an aggressive election campaign for her brother, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and other party candidates in Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Naushahro Feroze districts.

Her siblings — the PPP chairman and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari —congratulated her on social media. “Nawabshah is already celebrating... couldn’t be prouder of our newest member of Parliament,” Bakhtawar posted on X.

Controversy

However, a controversy also surrounded the unopposed victory of the president’s daughter as the opposition PTI alleged that its independent candidate, Ghulam Mustafa Rind, was not allowed to contest the by-election despite the fact that his nomination papers were restored by an election tribunal.

PTI divisional president Inayat Ali Rind alleged that Mr Rind was a PTI worker and he was on his way back to Nawabshah when the Sindh police took him into custody near Sakrand in order to stop him to appear before the RO and to give the PPP candidate a walkover.

In a statement, PTI leaders Haleem Adil Sheikh and Advocate Ali Palh accused the PPP government of “using police force” for its political agenda and to “crush” the opponents.

“Ghulam Mustafa Rind had filed nomination papers from NA-207 for the upcoming by-poll. His nomination was rejected in the first phase but on his appeal he was allowed to contest the by-poll. Only today [Friday] when his appeal against rejection of the nomination papers was allowed, he was taken into custody by the local police and his whereabouts are not known,” the statement said.

They said that the PPP government was afraid of contesting the by-poll and wanted its candidate to win unopposed to avoid defeat and humiliation.

However, PPP-Nawabshah president Khan Bahadur Bhatti and general secretary Syed Atif Hussain strongly denied the allegations and said Ghulam Mustafa Rind was a defaulter of Rs0.4 million of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company and was asked by the court to clear his dues. However, he failed to clear the dues.

Also, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar denied PTI’s allegations and said that the police did not arrest any candidate.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2024