Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to contest 2018 general elections from Benazir's seat

Karachi: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday announced that he will contest the 2018 general elections from his family stronghold of Larkana, signalling his arrival on Pakistan's active political stage.

"I will contest from the Raredro constituency from Larkana which is the traditional stronghold of our family," he told reporters at Bilawal House.

Bilawal, who turns 26 next Sunday, said contesting the general elections will also signal the start of his parliamentary career.

Ratedero's NA-207 seat from Sindh is known to be Pakistan Peoples Party's stronghold, popularly known as the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's home constituency.

Bilawal, the Chairperson of the PPP, said he had decided to join politics because of his mother.

"After her assassination in December 2007, I knew I had to carry on her dream and ambitions and I entered politics," he said.

Benazir Bhutto, who was twice elected the prime minister, was killed in a gun and suicide attack after an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.

No one has yet been convicted of her murder.

Bilawal said it was time for him to start taking more responsibility in the party founded by his grandfather, the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Earlier in an interview to a foreign media outlet, Bilawal had said he never saw himself as being in politics.

"Now I think it is time for me or there is the opportunity for me to start taking on more responsibility. But I will be focused more on party politics and working with every level of the party."

Hinting at working his way up, he said: "I don't want to parachute myself in from the top."

"I want to work with the grassroots, with every level of the party across the country and my aim is the 2018 election."

He also handed over a cheque of 100 million rupees for the flood affected people in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).