Is Aseefa Bhutto entering parliamentary politics?

• Zardari, Bilawal to decide on Aseefa's future by next week: sources.
• Aseefa might contest by-polls from Nawabshah, Shahdadkot.
• PPP leader recently played active role in party's election campaign 

ISLAMABAD: With its rich political history and current status as arguably a "king's party" with its 54 National Assembly (NA), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is mulling whether to field Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari in parliamentary politics, The News reported citing sources on Sunday.

Aseefa, daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, had actively been involved in the party's electoral campaign in the run-up to the February 8 polls and was seen leading various rallies in a bid to seek support for her brother Bilawal Bhutto — the party's then-candidate for the prime minister's post.

Sources say that Bilawal and party Co-Chairman Zardari will decide by next week about the constituency from where Aseefa-Bhutto Zardari will contest the by-elections to start her parliamentary journey.

So far, the party has not decided yet whether she would contest from the Shahdadkot constituency, from where Bilawal was elected to the National Assembly as the PPP chairman is most likely to vacate that seat while retaining his Larkana constituency seat.

Also, she might contest the by-polls from Nawabshah from where her father Asif Ali Zardari was elected as an MNA. Zardari would vacate that seat after his election as the president of Pakistan.

During the general election campaign, the PPP was of the view that Aseefa would contest the by-election on a seat vacated by his brother Bilawal after winning two NA seats.

It should be noted that in the past, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto also contested elections from the same Shahdadkot constituency.

Aseefa's expected move into parliamentary politics comes as the country is set to get its first-ever female chief minister after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominated Maryam Nawaz for Punjab's chief executive post.

It is yet to be seen how far Aseefa's political journey will take her, however, it is likely that her presence in the parliament will give the PPP and Bilawal a significant political boost.