Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to make formal entry into Pakistan politics on Thursday

Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will make his formal entry into the hurly burly of Pakistani politics at an event to be held tomorrow to mark the fifth death anniversary of his mother Benazir Bhutto.

"Bilawal will make his entry into active politics during the meeting to be held at Garhi Khuda Bux (in Sindh) and take over the PPP's campaign for next year's general election," said a confidant of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Both 24-year-old Bilawal and his father will make speeches at the event to be held outside the Bhutto family's mausoleum near the PPP's stronghold of Naudero, said the confidant who did not want to be named.

There has been speculation that Zardari might also announce the date for the next general election at tomorrow's event but the confidant said no final decision had been made in this regard.

"The President is keeping things close to his chest and he is the person who will make the decision about announcing the date for the polls," the confidant told PTI.

The current National Assembly or lower house of parliament will complete its five-year term in March and PPP leaders have indicated that the next general election is likely to be held in April or May. Polls will simultaneously be held to the four provincial assemblies.

During his speech at the event in Garhi Khuda Bux tomorrow, Bilawal is expected to make public a report on the investigation into Benazir Bhutto's assassination by a suicide bomber after an election rally in Rawalpindi in 2007.

Bilawal himself cannot contest polls till he turns 25 in September next year.

Zardari, who is the co-chairman of the PPP, has convened a meeting of the party's central executive committee at Naudero on Friday. This meeting is expected to fine tune the PPP's campaign for the polls, party insiders said.