Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was just 19 years old when the assassination of his mother catapulted him from carefree student to leader of one of Pakistan's biggest political parties.
Three days after a Taliban bomb killed Benazir Bhutto in 2007, the Oxford history student took over as chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
His precocious rise to political prominence has continued with his appointment as the youngest foreign minister in Pakistan's history, taking one of the most high-profile postings in the new Shehbaz Sharif government at just 33.
The role places Mr Bhutto Zardari on the world stage and at the head of attempts to soothe relations with the US after former prime minister Imran Khan accused Washington of plotting to have him removed.
But analysts also see the appointment as a step towards achieving the hopes of the storied Bhutto family and their party of returning to power in Pakistan.
As the son of Benazir Bhutto, who was prime minister twice, and Asif Ali Zardari, who was president, Bilawal is the epitome of Pakistan's dynastic political elite. His grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the PPP and was president and prime minister before he was hanged by a military dictator in 1979.
That background, steeped in power and blood, has seen him grow up with great privilege but also taught him the perils of Pakistan's life-and-death political arena.
Long groomed for power at the helm of the PPP, Mr Bhutto Zardari's new post will address criticism that he lacks experience in government, said Bilal Ghani of polling company Gallup Pakistan.
Mr Bhutto Zardari is perceived to have performed well as a leader of the centre-left PPP, and appears to have played a role in the machinations to build a coalition to oust Mr Khan. He has held meetings with Nawaz Sharif, ousted former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, including while Sharif was in prison in 2019.
In terms of governance, however, he remains untested.
“In some sense this is a test case for him to show that he is beyond just politics, that he has some administrative credentials as well,” Mr Ghani said.
Bhutto Zardari finds himself in government as part of a coalition of unusual breadth. Parties ranging from leftists to the religious right joined forces against Mr Khan. Yet keeping them unified in the face of an economic crisis and significant grass-roots support for Mr Khan will be difficult.
Pakistan's other main political dynasty, the Sharifs, are now in the ascendency and competition could erupt between two families who each see themselves as Pakistan's rightful leaders.
Before his appointment, Mr Bhutto Zardari hinted at the egos involved when he admitted his party would find it “difficult to stomach” him working for a Sharif.
Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party portrays the PPP leader as just a new face to Pakistan's entitled dynastic elite.
Mr Bhutto Zardari says he is committed to democracy, for all his privileged background.
“Criticise nepotism and dynastic politics as much as you want, but whoever the people of Pakistan decide that is what at the end of the day should matter,” he said recently.
Meanwhile, the PPP will hope that its leader's new high profile will raise the party's standing, even if many foreign policy decisions are still in fact decided by Pakistan's powerful military.
While the PPP is the third-biggest party in parliament, its support base has retreated towards its Sindh heartland in recent years, Mr Ghani said.
“The party faces a very uphill task in remaining nationally relevant when it comes to elections,” he said.
“Bilawal provides hope of a national vote for the party. It may attract those votes back into the party.”
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
