Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari family members attend a ceremony after Mr. Zardari became the first Pakistani to be elected as Pakistan’s President for the second time. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Zardaris have overtaken the Sharifs to hold the record for having the most number of lawmakers from a family in Pakistani politics after President Asif Ali Zardari and slain former premier Benazir Bhutto’s youngest daughter Aseefa was elected unopposed as a member of Parliament.

Ms. Aseefa Bhutto Zardari (31), who is set to become the First Lady, had filed a nomination for the National Assembly seat NA-207 from the Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah) area of Sindh province for the bye-election scheduled for next month.

According to a notification issued by the Returning Office of the area, Ms. Bhutto Zardari was elected unopposed after three candidates who had filed papers against her withdrew their names from the contest. It left her with no challenger and she was declared a winner in her maiden electoral contest on March 29. The seat was vacated by her father Asif Ali Zardari after he was elected as the president.

Ms. Bhutto Zardari holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and sociology and a master’s in global health and development. She served as a goodwill ambassador for the polio eradication campaign in 2012.

With her victory, the Zardari family has six lawmakers at the national and provincial levels. Mr. Zardari is the country’s president, his daughter Aseefa, son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and brother-in-law Munawar Ali Talpur are Members of the National Assembly. Mr. Zardari’s sisters Faryal Talpur and Azra Pechuho are members of the provincial assembly in Sindh.

The Zardari family has the most number of legislators from a single family, breaking the record set by the Sharif family.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s elder brother Nawaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif have been elected MNAs. Maryam Nawaz Sharif is the chief minister of Punjab.

Both political families are very influential and have dominated Pakistani politics for decades.

Maryam Nawaz.
| Photo Credit: AP

“The selection of Maryam Nawaz as the Chief Minister of the Punjab province is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” the U.S. has said, asserting that it looks forward to cooperating with Islamabad on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life.

Maryam, the 50-year-old daughter of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, took oath as the first-ever woman Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most populous and politically crucial Punjab province last week.

“Her [Maryam Nawaz Sharif] selection as Chief Minister is a milestone in Pakistani politics,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on March 4.

Maryam is considered the political heir to 74-year-old Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former Prime Minister.

“We look forward to cooperating with Pakistan more broadly on integrating women more fully into the country’s political life, in the economy, including through the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, civil society, and other decision-making spaces,” he said.

“An inclusive Pakistan makes for a strong, prosperous country which all Pakistanis benefit from, and so we are always pleased when we see cracks in the glass ceiling anywhere in the world,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.

However, he refrained from commenting on the election of the new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.

On Monday, Shehbaz (72) assumed the cash-strapped country’s reins for a second time, nearly a month after an inconclusive election marred by allegations of vote rigging.

“I’m not going to speak with respect to the new Prime Minister, but as we’ve said before, we value our longstanding partnership with Pakistan and have always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to U.S.-Pakistan interests, and our engagement with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government will continue to focus on advancing these shared interests,” Mr. Miller said.