Bilawal returns to Pak, not to campaign

The 24-year-old chief of the PPP had left Pakistan for Dubai last month after a tiff with his father President Asif Ali Zardari and his aunt Faryal Talpur over the affairs of the party Lahore/Karachi (PTI): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday returned to the country after spending over a week in Dubai. But, he will not lead the party's campaign for the May 11 general election, said one of his close aides. "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be very much a part of the campaign but he will not head the campaign. In fact, the PPP never had tasked him to spearhead the election campaign," said Hasham Riaz, Bilawal's chief of staff. The 24-year-old chief of the PPP left for Dubai last month after a tiff with his father President Asif Ali Zardari and his aunt Faryal Talpur over the affairs of the party. Zardari subsequently travelled to Dubai on March 30 amidst reports that the trip was aimed at persuading Bilawal to return to Pakistan. Zardari and his son flew to Karachi early on Tuesday morning. Riaz said Bilawal would attend a rally to be held at Garhi Khuda Baksh in Sindh province on April 4 to mark the death anniversary of his grandfather, former President Zulifqar Ali Bhutto. The PPP plans to formally launch its election campaign at this rally organised in the traditional stronghold of the Bhutto family. Bilawal would also address some public meetings during the election campaign, Riaz said. Sources within the PPP had earlier told PTI that Bilawal had left for Dubai after developing differences with Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur over the party's handling of key issues, including militant violence, sectarian attacks against Shias and the award of party tickets for the polls.Bilawal will not be able to contest polls himself till he turns 25 in September.