Pakistani actress Aymen Saleem, whose father is former cricketer Saleem Yousuf, declared her membership in the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) at a press briefing in Karachi, naming former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as her lifelong role model.
During the event, she stood beside PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and said she had admired Benazir Bhutto since childhood and felt proud to join the party.
"Since my childhood, I've been a big fan of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Every girl who has seen her journey is definitely impressed by her. I'm very happy and proud to be a part of the Pakistan Peoples Party," Saleem said.
She lauded Bhutto for becoming the first elected female leader of the Muslim world at age 35 and noted the exile, imprisonment and threats Bhutto endured.
"She faced exile, prison, threats, but she still chose to come back home, because her people mattered more to her than her own safety," Saleem added.
Saleem said Bhutto's story taught her early on that a girl's dreams are never too small and that aspirations have no gender.
Explaining her move, she described it as a pledge to serve the nation rather than a mere political step.
"I would like to say that this is not a political decision for me, personally. This is a promise for me," she stated.
She thanked the PPP for the chance and vowed to work sincerely for Pakistan and its citizens.
Referencing her family, Saleem highlighted that her father represented Pakistan in cricket for more than ten years, and said patriotism was part of her upbringing.
She expressed hope to apply her education and professional background to the role.
Saleem concluded by thanking PPP leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari and party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Her entry adds to a growing list of Pakistani actors entering politics; other entertainment figures who have joined PTI recently include Farhan Ally Agha and Shamoon Abbasi.
Before acting, Saleem worked in investment banking and consulting in New York, later gaining fame for the drama Chupke Chupke.
Although she announced in 2021 that she would "no longer be acting," she eventually returned to television, and her PPP membership marks another career shift.
