For observers of South Asia with its rich crop of women politicians - from Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Kumaratunga to India’s Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, stretched to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi - the political debut of Pakistan’s Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, daughter of Benazir Bhutto, should be of obvious interest.

That these women leaders were assassinated (Bandaranaike, Gandhi and Benazir) or their close family members were killed (Chandrika, Hasina, Khaleda and Suu Kyi) underscores the risks involved in women joining or being pushed into public life by force of circumstances.  And the threat to the life of self or the kin is only one of the dangers.

Political debut

In Aseefa’s case, circumstances seem to have conspired to launch her into public life amidst a raging COVID-19, at a rabble-rousing rally like the one in which her mother was assassinated in December 2007.  She was chipping in for her brother, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), who went into quarantine on testing positive. 

For PPP and Bilawal, the Multan rally was crucial in that they had competed with other stakeholders in the 11-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), especially the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), to play the hosts. Although currently allies, they have vital stakes in Pakistan’s southern Punjab region in and around Multan. 

It was essential for the Bhutto Zardaris to show that they had not balked, having picked up the political gauntlet amidst many government-imposed restrictions. Initially, it was announced that Bilawal would address the rally through a video link. Fielding Aseefa, instead, was a bold move. 

Similarities with India

Since one is looking at these siblings, there is bound to be more than cursory interest in India that has many a sibling of political families. Of them, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress are the most prominent and remain subjects of constant speculation. 

Another point of comparison is the likeness – of Priyanka with her grandmother Indira and Aseefa with her mother Benazir. Like the Indian commentators, this may now be the turn of those in Pakistan to speculate on the possible political gains that could accrue to their respective parties.

It is significant that at the Multan rally, Aseefa referred to mother Benazir and to Bilawal: “I have come among you today at a time when my brother, your brother, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is suffering from coronavirus. I hope that just like you supported the mother of democracy and the daughter of the east, you will support Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on PDM's platform. And I promise that I will support Chairman Bilawal and you at every step." 

The last line could well be an expression of solidarity to quell any speculation of her competing with Bilawal. Whoever scripted it may have had in mind the other star speaker at the rally, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of thrice-ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and vice president of the PML (N). 

Maryam is often seen as being in rivalry with cousin Hamza Shahbaz, son of Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s younger brother, and former Punjab chief minister. To counter this, Maryam has in speeches and interviews always taken care to refer to her cousin as ‘Bhai’ (brother).

Comparisons and competition 

British-born and educated Aseefa could face comparisons/competition from other Bhutto Zardari women. Faryal Talpur, father Asif Zardari’s sister, for one, influenced the party decisions when Bilawal was a young student. Fatima Bhutto, a cousin from mother’s side is a well-regarded writer who has been critical of Benazir whom she blames for the death of father Murtaza.

At the rally, Aseefa spoke on behalf of her family and the women in the party who she said will “step out to the streets” to work for democracy. So the women’s angle is strong and deliberately designed. 

The atmospherics and the political import of the rally is summed up by Asha’ar Rehman (A Passage to Multan, Dawn, December 4, 2020). He calls the Multan rally “the most significant one” among five held so far. 

“These were good signs for the PPP. And then there was Aseefa. The daughter of Benazir Bhutto who already has an aura about her was to make her ‘debut’ in politics from the Multan stage. This was an occasion in itself, an occasion for reminiscing and being nostalgic, an occasion to compare and match and distinguish Aseefa with and from others.” 

Interestingly, Maryam, 47, and Aseefa, two decades younger, were both dressed in elegant blue Multani Kashigari, their heads neatly covered. Both spoke spiritedly to the cheers of the large audience. Pitching for her exiled father, Maryam has become a veteran. But she appeared to yield space to Aseefa, the surprise debutante, in terms of public response and social media fervour that followed this Multan rally. 

The social media discourse over Aseefa’s speech was ecstatic, so much so that ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Ali Khan Tareen, son of high-profile politician Jahangir Tareen said to be a  close confidante of Prime Minister Imran Khan, weighed in on Aseefa’s  political debut saying “political differences aside, she’s pretty cool.”

Clearly, glamour quotient is high for someone from a known political family, especially a woman. This is by and large absent in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI, although there is no dearth of women leaders and lawmakers. Khan himself retains his own old charisma as a former star cricketer while his spiritually inclined wife observes purdah. 

Limitations for women 

Like anywhere else, there are also serious limitations for women in Pakistan’s public life. They constantly dodge the minefields of being judged as individuals, the way they dress, their public and perceived private behaviour, their ‘tehzeeb’ (culture) as family persons, and these days, are even trolled on social media. 

Maryam and all other women in Pakistan, irrespective of age, face this almost daily. Dr. Shireen Mazari, Minister for Human Rights, was dubbed “tractor trolley,” ostensibly a reference to her appearance, in the National Assembly. A saree-clad woman presiding officer was asked by a male member in the House to “dress properly” in "traditional Pakistani attire".

It now seems Aseefa’s turn to get into the rough and tumble of life as a political leader of tomorrow in Pakistan. 

(The writer is President, Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA). The views expressed are personal.  He can be contacted at mahendraved07@gmail.com)