Karachi: Former prime minister and senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will formally launch his political career on October 18.

That date marks the anniversary of the day a convoy carrying Bilawal’s mother, Benazir Bhutto, was attacked on her return to Pakistan in 2007.

Gilani made the announcement in a press conference after a meeting of senior party leaders here, under the supervision of Bilawal.

He said the meeting decided that Bilawal, who has been heading the party along with his father Asif Ali Zardari, will begin his political journey where his mother had left off.

“Bilawal will start his political journey where Benazir Shaheed had left it incomplete on October 18,” Gilani said.

The party has arranged a public event on the day, and party supporters and workers would gather at the Karsaz, where Benazir’s caravan was attacked by suicide bombers. She survived but at least 158 people died in the suicide bomb attacks.

She was assassinated in the garrison city of Rawalpindi later in the same year.

Benazir had returned home in 2007 to rejoin politics after many years in exile.

On October 18, Bilawal will lead the caravan from the Karsaz that would travel up to the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of the nation, where Benazir had to reach to deliver a speech.

“Benazir came back home despite knowing all the dangers [doing so would pose] to her life and now Bilawal would take up her unfinished mission,” Gilani said.

Bilawal, who had already announced his intention to begin his parliamentary carrier in the next elections, often interacts with his party followers through social media. He tweets his political messages, which are frequently picked up by the media.

“Now the nation attaches hopes with Bilawal and all eyes are on him,” Gilani said.

He also acknowledged the sacrifices of the party workers who laid their lives to save the life of their leader.

Touching upon the other national issues, the former prime minister said that the country was faced with the terrorism and extremism but only an elected government could suppress such acts.

He also criticised the politics of Imran Khan saying his political behaviour was immature.

Gilani said the former cricketer had never been in power and thus was not able to understand the real challenges facing the government.