Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, born on January 25, 1990, is a prominent Pakistani public figure and educationist. She serves as the chairperson of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST). Bakhtawar is part of the illustrious Bhutto family of Pakistan, being the daughter of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari. She is also the sister of former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Early Life and Education
Bakhtawar was born in Karachi, Sindh, and is the eldest daughter of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. She received her early education from Karachi Grammar School and OPF School in Islamabad. Later, she completed her secondary education at Latifa School for Girls in Dubai, where her family lived during Benazir Bhutto’s period of exile. Bakhtawar pursued further studies at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in English literature in 2012.
Career
Bakhtawar is actively involved in the management of SZABIST, an educational institution founded by her mother in 1995. She became the chairperson of SZABIST, which has campuses across Pakistan and an offshore campus in Dubai, in 2019. Despite not engaging in mainstream politics, Bakhtawar maintains a significant online presence and advocates for social causes to her three million Twitter followers.
Personal Life
Bakhtawar got engaged to Mahmood Younas Choudhry on November 27, 2020, and married him on January 30, 2021. The couple welcomed their first son, Mir Hakim Mahmood Choudhry, on October 10, 2021. Their second son, Mir Sijawal Mahmood Choudhry, was born on October 5, 2022. Bakhtawar’s sons are named after her late grandfather Hakim Ali Zardari and late maternal uncle Mir Murtaza Bhutto.