NEW DELHI: The Oxford-educated political heir apparent of Pakistan and son of late former Pakistan Prime Minister, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, looked at ease as he shook hands with officials present to receive him at the Palam Air Force base. He was on his maiden trip to India, accompanying his father Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, during a visit to Delhi and later to Ajmer’s Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Bilawal had taken over the PPP’s chairmanship at the age of 19 in a tactical move to consolidate sympathetic support for the party, following his mother’s assassination in 2008. He returned to Pakistan last year after completing his graduation in History from Oxford University and since then is being groomed for his next job.
Donned in a black pathani suit, he waved at waiting reporters at the Palam base. From there, he left for 7 Race Course Road - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence -- for lunch. Politicians from both sides of the border attended the high-profile lunch, hosted by Singh.
Bilawal who added “Bhutto” to his surname after his mother’s assassination, also tweeted, “SMBB (Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto) also accompanied SZAB (Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) to India.” Benazir had accompanied her father and founder of PPP Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for negotiations preceding the 1972 Shimla Agreement with then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. After his visit to the Ajmer shrine, he posted, “Just visited #ajmer. So spiritual and peaceful.” He also uploaded a photo of the page of the visitor book.