Suspense over as Bilawal takes oath as foreign min
ISLAMABAD: Scion of Pakistan’s leading political dynasty, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Wednesday took oath as the foreign minister of Pakistan, ending speculation about his role in the new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
President Arif Alvi administered the oath to 33-year-old Bilawal at a simple ceremony at the Aiwan-i-sadr (President’s House), where Prime Minister Shehbaz, former president Asif Ali Zardari and other officials as well as leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were present.
It’s the first time Bilawal has been given a key post in the government and assigned the key portfolio of foreign minister of the country. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 2018. He became the head of the ministry of foreign affairs at a crucial juncture when Pakistan needed a stable hand to steer the foreign policy through the choppy waters.
Among the main challenges, Bilawal needs to fix strained ties with the US in the wake of conspiracy allegations by former premier Imran Khan and find a way to restart the stalled peace process with neighbouring India. Bilawal took the oath nearly a week after he met Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London last week during which they discussed the “overall political situation” in Pakistan and vowed to work together on issues pertaining to politics and national interest.
Meanwhile, deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return from London next month after Eid to face the courts, a senior PML-N leader has said, a day after the new government issued a passport to the former threetime premier to come back to his home country.