Bilawal Bhutto appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif yesterday appointed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, as foreign minister, in a move he relied on his alliance with the People’s Party to mend strained relations with the United States and other Western countries. Bhutto Zardari, 33, who heads the People’s Party and is considered the youngest foreign minister in the history of Pakistan, will accompany Sharif today (Thursday) on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

Bhutto Zardari was sworn in before President Arif Alvi, in the presence of a number of his relatives, including his sister Asif Bhutto and his aunt Sanam Bhutto. Asifa Bhutto tweeted, “Congratulations to the youngest foreign minister in Pakistan’s history, Bhutto Zardari. The task is arduous, and the previous government damaged our international standing, but I have no doubt that you will make our country, our party and our family proud.”

He congratulated Sharif, the new foreign minister, upon taking the oath, and during a meeting between them he renewed the determination to overcome challenges through mutual cooperation.

The new foreign minister is considered a liberal politician and scion of a leading political family in the country. He was still studying at Oxford University in 2007, when his mother, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated.