Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 20-year-old son of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, is planning to run for treasurer in student elections at Oxford Union Society next week. Bilawal, who was named chief of the Pakistan People's Party after his mother's assassination in December 2007, is keeping mum on the issue.
He is a second year history student at Christ Church and his mother was the first Asian female president of the society in 1976. "The fact his mother was president is certainly a factor," a student told Sunday Times newspaper. A report titled "Future leaders of Asian states just want to have fun" quoted Bilawal as saying "may be" when he was asked if he would contest for the treasurer's post.
"Bilawal, who's in his second year reading history at Christ Church, wants to emulate her (Bhutto) and there's a sense of a dynasty. They say his father wanted him to run when he first came to Oxford, but he's always said he's going on to do serious work later in life, so he might as well enjoy himself first," the student said.
"When cornered at a student party, he offered an enigmatic 'maybe'. Apparently he is wary about the society's reputation for being brutal and bitchy. If he is hoping to follow in his Mum's footsteps and become prime minister of Pakistan, you'd think dealing with a few braying undergraduates would be a doddle," the newspaper report said.
Bilawal's younger sister Bakhtawar made her first move into student politics within weeks of enrolling at Edinburgh University in September last year. Bakhtawar, who is studying English literature, came second among 28 candidates in an election to vote 20 first-year undergraduates on to the Edinburgh University Students' Association.
However, it may not be smooth sailing for Bilawal, whose reputation is not quite unblemished at the university. The president of Oxford University's students union was reprimanded last year after he "abused" his office by providing union rooms free of cost to Bilawal to hold his birthday bash.
A disciplinary committee's finding said the president of the union "abused his office by virtue of his allowing members to host parties in the society's building without paying for room hire".
Students are expected to pay 900 pounds as hire charge and members 450 pounds for hiring rooms. Bilawal was allowed free use of a room on October 18, when he held a joint birthday party with another student.
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