Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (born 21 September 1988) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 37th Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2023. He became the chairman of the Pakistan People's Party in 2007 following his mother's assassination.
Born in Karachi, Sindh, Bilawal maternally belongs to the Bhutto family and paternally to the Zardari family, he is the son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Ali Zardari, and the grandson of former President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Bilawal Zardari was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2018 to 2023. He was re-elected as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in the 2024 Pakistani general election from newly formed constituency NA-194 Larkana-I, taking oath in 2024.
Early life and education Bilawal Zardari was born at the Lady Dufferin Hospital in Karachi, Sindh, on 21 September 1988 to Benazir Bhutto, who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on two occasions, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who is the incumbent President of Pakistan. He is the maternal grandson of former President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and his wife Nusrat Bhutto. His paternal grandfather, Hakim Ali Zardari, was a politician and a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. From his mother's side, he is the nephew of politicians Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto, and from his father's side, his aunts are politicians Azra Peechoho and Faryal Talpur. Politician Ghinwa Bhutto is his aunt by marriage. Author Fatima Bhutto and San Francisco based artist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr are his maternal cousins.
He is of Sindhi and Kurdish descent on his maternal side and Baloch descent on his paternal side.
For early education, Bhutto Zardari attended Karachi Grammar School and Froebel's International School in Islamabad before going into exile to Dubai in 1999 along with his mother. In Dubai, he attended the Rashid School For Boys. For further studies, he followed in the footsteps of both his mother and his grandfather and applied to Oxford University, where he was accepted to study Modern History and Politics at Christ Church, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2012 (later promoted to a Master of Arts by seniority).Bilawal Zardari graduates from Oxford with MA degree Dawn
Early political career (2007-2018) Bhutto Zardari was appointed as the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP),"Bilawal Zardari: Heir to a political dynasty" , "BBC", 25 July 2018 on 30 December 2007"Bhutto's son Bilawal named PPP chairperson", "Rediff India Abroad", 30 December 2007 at the age of 19, following the assassination of his mother in Rawalpindi earlier that month during a political rally. On this occasion, he recalled his martyred mother, "My mother always said that democracy is the best revenge"."Bilawal named PPP chairman: party to contest elections", "Business Recorder", 30 December 2007
In the 2018 Pakistani general election, the PPP, under the leadership of Bilawal Zardari, emerged as the largest party in Sindh and third largest party of Pakistan. The party won 43 seats in the National Assembly, nine more seats than in the 2013 general election. Bhutto Zardari, contested from NA-246 Karachi West-III, Malakand NA-8, as well as NA-200 Larkana. He won from Larkana with 84,426 votes, having lost from two of the other constituencies to candidates for the Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Bhutto Zardari claimed that rigging took place before and after the general election, adding that across Pakistan polling agents were expelled from the polling stations and demanding a probe into rigging allegations.
Member of the National Assembly (2018-2023) On 13 August 2018, Bilawal Zardari became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. In his inaugural speech, he asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to fulfill his promise of rooting out corruption, resolving the water crisis, providing 10 million jobs, and providing 5 million houses to the Pakistani people during his tenure. In the speech, Bilawal Zardari coined the term 'PM Select' for Khan. He added that Khan is not only the prime minister for the PTI, but he is also the Prime Minister of the Pakistani people, who Bilawal Zardari claimed that Khan referred to as "donkeys" and "living corpses."Abdul Qadir Patel's official member national assembly profile
On 5 March 2019, Bilawal Zardari was elected—unopposed—as the chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee for Human Rights.
Foreign Minister (2022-2023)
On 27 April 2022, Zardari was sworn in as Foreign Minister of Pakistan under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the removal of Imran Khan from the premiership amidst a constitutional crisis. President Arif Alvi administered his oath of office. At 33 years old, he became the youngest foreign minister in Pakistan's history.
Upon assuming office, Bhutto Zardari outlined a foreign policy centred on “peace through dialogue,” economic diplomacy, and the revitalisation of Pakistan’s global image. During his first month in office, he visited China to discuss the advancement China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, and he met with his counterpart, Wang Yi. In September 2022, he visited the United States and met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-U.S. diplomatic relations.
Bhutto Zardari emerged as a vocal advocate for climate justice after the 2022 floods devastated large parts of Pakistan. He played a key role at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt in November 2022, serving as chair of the Group of 77 and China delegation during the conference.
In May 2023, Bhutto Zardari visited India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa—the first official visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to India in over a decade. His participation was seen as a symbolic gesture towards regional dialogue despite tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir and terrorism. He met with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar at the beginning of the conference, exchanging a namaste; however, no bilateral meetings between the two occurred.
In August 2023, Bhutto Zardari launched a “Change Management Initiative” within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, introducing a digital repository to modernise Pakistan’s diplomatic service.
Bhutto Zardari's term ended with the dissolution of the National Assembly in August 2023 ahead of the next general election.
2024 premiership campaign In January 2024, The PPP published its electoral manifesto for the upcoming general elections the following month, with Bhutto Zardari serving as the party's candidate for prime minister. Bhutto Zardari promised to bring a "transformational change" by addressing several issues, including water and food insecurity, and the country's economic woes. His campaign also relied on youth appeal, with Bhutto Zardari championing the fight against climate change to rally Pakistan's youth. Ahead of the general elections, Bhutto Zardari toured all four provinces in January, with his sister, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, assisting his campaign.
Following the election, which produced a hung parliament, Bhutto Zardari announced his withdrawal from the race and that the PPP would not participate in any post-election federal cabinet. On 13 February, Bhutto Zardari's father, Asif Ali Zardari, who was representing the PPP, announced that a coalition government would be formed, with Shehbaz Sharif as the Prime Minister. Bhutto Zardari added that the PPP would nominate Zardari to become the next president, while it would also field candidates for the Senate chairmanship and the speakership of the National Assembly.
Member of the National Assembly (2024-present) In the aftermath of the 2024 general elections, Bhutto Zardari resumed his membership of the National Assembly, representing NA-194 Larkana-I. He took his oath on 29 February. In September 2024, he advised the speaker of the house to form a committee to "restore the functionality of the house," advocating for an end to political rivalries, with a greater priority on national interests.
In October 2024, Bhutto Zardari expressed his support for the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, which places limitations on the Supreme Court of Pakistan through the removal of the sua sponte prerogative, the reconstitution of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to sit on judicial appointments, and the formation of a separate constitutional bench in the Supreme Court.
In June 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Bhutto Zardari as the head of a Pakistani delegation to tour several countries and provide Pakistan's perspective on its recent conflict with India.
Political activism
Support for 18th Amendment Bhutto Zardari has repeatedly criticized the historical One Unit Scheme, and warned against any attempt to bring in a presidential system, explaining that it will not be in the interest of democracy. During a press conference on 27 April 2019, he stated that the "presidential system is neither in the interest of the country nor the federation and all democratic forces will resist any such move."
Freedom of expression A devout advocate for democracy, Bhutto Zardari has repeatedly denounced censorship and likened any forms of curbing media freedom to living under a dictatorship. He made a speech at the Karachi Press Club on World Press Freedom Day where he said, "An undeclared censorship is stifling the freedom of expression in Pakistan and journalists are coming under threat from state and non-state actors." He added, "Journalists and media persons as human rights defenders suffer the most when freedom of expression is stifled. After the right to life, the most important right is the right of expression and the freedom of association because all other rights cannot even be articulated without it."
During the speech, he also criticized the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016 and stated that it had been misapplied to stifle dissent.
Women's rights Bhutto Zardari is a strong advocate of "peaceful, progressive, prosperous, democratic Pakistan", what he calls his mother's vision. In an interview with the BBC, he said that his 2018 election campaign was to implement these principles. He is a strong supporter of women's empowerment and believes in empowering women and taking them on board in all matters is the sole guarantee of the country's progress.
On the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child, the PPP chairman said that a future based on progress and prosperity could remain a dream without empowering girls and taking them on board in all matters. Bhutto Zardari acknowledged all those women who stepped forward in all sections of life and field while defeating many impediments at every level and social taboos. He specifically named Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jehangir, and Maryam Mukhtar.
On 17 March 2019, Bhutto Zardari met with a delegation of women's rights activists led by Sheema Kirmani and assured his support for their cause. A statement released by Bhutto Zardari House later said that his party would not tolerate any offence against the struggle for gender equality and women's rights. The statement went further to read, "The PPP chairman extended his enduring support to the members of the Aurat March and its activists who are struggling for their genuine and legitimate rights as enshrined in the unanimous constitution of Pakistan."