Aymen Saleem joins PPP: who she is and what she said about Benazir Bhutto

Actress Aymen Saleem has joined the Pakistan Peoples Party. She announced it at a press conference in Karachi alongside PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, saying Benazir Bhutto had been her inspiration since childhood.

The news, reported on Friday and Saturday by Dawn, ARY News, ProPakistani and others, sent many people searching for who she is, since she has kept a low profile since her breakout drama.

Who is Aymen Saleem?

Aymen Saleem is the daughter of Saleem Yousuf, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper who played for the national team for more than a decade. Before acting, she worked in investment banking and consulting in New York, ProPakistani reported.

Most viewers know her from the hit drama Chupke Chupke. She announced in 2021 that she would stop acting, then later returned to television. Her name is spelt several ways in Pakistani media: Aymen, Ayman and Aimen.

What did Aymen Saleem say about joining PPP?

She kept her remarks personal rather than political. “Since my childhood, I’ve been a big fan of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” she said, according to ARY News.

She pointed to Bhutto becoming the first woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority country, at 35, and to what came after: “She faced exile, prison, threats, but she still chose to come back home.” That story, she said, taught her that girls’ dreams should not be limited by gender, “That is why I’m here.”

She also tried to frame the move as more than party politics. “This is not a political decision for me, personally. This is a promise,” she said, adding that she wanted to use her education and professional experience for the country. She thanked President Asif Ali Zardari and party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Will she contest elections?

Nothing has been announced. She has not said whether she will run for any seat, and the PPP has not given her a party post so far. With no general election due for years, any role in the meantime is likely to be organisational or in media outreach.

Why it matters

Showbiz names joining parties is not new in Pakistan, but most recent moves have gone towards PTI: ProPakistani notes that actors Farhan Ally Agha and Shamoon Abbasi recently aligned with Imran Khan’s party. Aymen Saleem gives the PPP a young, educated, US-trained face it can use to reach urban women and first-time voters, especially in Karachi.

The real test is whether she shows up for the party’s work after the press conference, not just at it.