Upon return, Bilawal takes charge of affairs

KARACHI: Barely hours after landing from his six-month sojourn abroad, Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari catapulted himself into the centre of the party’s political affairs on Monday.

Soon after his arrival at Karachi airport on Monday afternoon, Bilawal and his sister were escorted by security officials to the party headquarters in Clifton. Security at the airport was tight and many PPP workers who had gone to receive Bilawal were not allowed to enter the premises.

Dozens of commandos from the Special Security Unit, female officers, double cabin vehicles, bulletproof vehicles, and mobile jammers escorted the PPP chairman. A helicopter was originally assigned to take him to Bilawal House but he preferred to stay on the ground.

Bilawal held meetings at the chairman secretariat , and summoned Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah for a meeting.

After staying in the city for few days where he is expected to reorganise the party, the young PPP chairman will be attending party jalsas and the ongoing campaign planned for the local government polls in Punjab.

Bilawal, who graduated last month from Oxford with a master’s degree, arrived in the country amidst speculation of a dispute with his father, co-chairperson and former party president Asif Ali Zardari. For the past few months, news of rift with his father Asif Ali Zardari had emerged over the party stance on their relationship with the PML-N and other political issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.