Asif Ali Zardari

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Asif Ali Zardari آصف علی زرداری
President of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office  9 September 2008
Prime Minister	Yousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded by	Muhammad Mian Soomro (Acting)
Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party
Incumbent
Assumed office  30 December 2007 Serving with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Preceded by	Benazir Bhutto
Born	26 July 1955 (1955-07-26) (age 53) Karachi, Pakistan[1]
Political party	Pakistan Peoples Party
Spouse	Benazir Bhutto (Deceased in 2007)
Children	Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari Asifa Bhutto Zardari
Residence	Islamabad, Pakistan
Religion	Shi'a Islam
Website	PPP website

Asif Ali Zardari (Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955) is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Zardari is the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who twice served as Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Contents 1 Member of National Assembly 2 Co-chairman of the PPP 2.1 Candidate for the presidency following Musharraf's resignation 3 Zardari as President of Pakistan 4 Politics 5 Controversies 5.1 Oath controversy 5.2 Money Laundering 5.3 NRO Beneficiary 5.4 Meeting with Sarah Palin 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Member of National Assembly

Asif once served as a member of the National Assembly, and he was at one point the Minister of Environment during his wife's second term as the Prime Minister (1993–1996).^{[citation needed]} Initially he was very interested in the Finance Ministry, but Bhutto opted to put him in a non-revenue generating department instead.^{[citation needed]} During his time as the Environment Minister, he claimed in a televised news conference on STN that every school in Pakistan had had an Environment & Forestry department which had motivated every student to plant one tree.^{[citation needed]}

He also served as a Senator until the October 1999 coup by General Pervez Musharraf, in which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted and the Senate and assemblies were both dissolved.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Co-chairman of the PPP

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007, shortly after returning to Pakistan from exile. On 30 December 2007, Asif Ali Zardari anointed himself as the co-chairman of the PPP (citing Benazir's socalled will), along with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently studying at Oxford. Bilawal is intended to fully assume the post when he completes his education.

After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Zardari reaffirmed his lack of interest in the prime ministership.^[2][3] Chairman Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif, leader of the PML-N, along with some smaller political parties, joined forces in an electoral coalition that won a heavy majority in the elections and unseated Musharraf's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q). After the election, he called for a government of national unity, and divided cabinet portfolios among coalition partners on proportionate basis.^[4] Asif Ali Zardari and former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on 21 February 2008 that their parties would work together in the national parliament after scoring big wins in the election.^[5] On 5 March 2008, Mr Zardari was cleared of five corruption charges only because the courts "abolished the cases against all public office holders",^[6] including corruption and illegal use of property under NRO, the National Reconciliation Ordinance^[7] He had another trial on the remaining charges on 14 April 2008, when he was cleared under the same NRO.^[8] On 19 April 2008, Zardari announced in a press conference in London that he and his sister, Faryal Talpur, would participate in the by-elections taking place on 3 June and that, if necessary, he would contest to become the country's next Prime Minister, even though his party voted by a 2/3 majority^[9] to announce that Yousaf Raza Gillani would be the PM for a five year term.

[edit] Candidate for the presidency following Musharraf's resignation

Zardari, in alliance with Nawaz Sharif, was preparing to impeach president Pervez Musharraf, and a charge-sheet and draft of impeachment had already been prepared, when Musharraf, in accordance with his advisors, resigned from the presidency on 18 August 2008. Chairman Zardari has been confirmed by the Central Executive Committee of the PPP as well as endorsed by the rival ethnic party MQM as candidate for the post of President of Pakistan.^[10] There is nevertheless strong disagreement among the current coalition partners, and Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party is threatening to leave the coalition as a result.^[11] According to the Constitution, elections must be held within 30 days of the previous president stepping down. The electoral college is composed of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies.

Pakistan's Election Commission on 22 August announced that a presidential election would be held on 6 September, and the nomination papers could be filed from 26 August.^[12][11] Many analysts have predicted that if Zardari is elected President, Pakistan's political, economical and financial position will surely suffer heavily.^{[citation needed]}

It has been reported by the The New York Times that Zalmay Khalilzad, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, had been unofficially advising Asif Ali Zardari.^[13] Khalilzad, an Afghan native, is rumored to be flirting with the possibility of returning home to challenge President Hamid Karzai when his term expires next year. Should Khalilzad return home, a good working relationship with Islamabad would be critical.^[14]

[edit] Zardari as President of Pakistan

Zardari was elected president of Pakistan, as Chief election commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq announced that "Asif Ali Zardari secured 281 votes out of the 426 valid votes polled in the parliament," In Sindh, Zardari had 62 of the 65 electoral votes while his two main opponents got zero votes; in North West Frontier Province Zardari got 56 votes against 5 by Siddiqui and one by Hussain; in Balochistan, 59 votes while Siddiqui and Hussain got 2 each. However, Zardari did not win the majority in the nation's biggest province, Punjab, where the PML-N's Siddiqui got a clear majority.^[15] BBC reported that Zardari "won 481 votes, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory."^[16] New York Times said that Zardari would be sworn in "as soon as Saturday night or as late as Monday or Tuesday, diplomats and officials said."^[17]

Zardari was challenged by Justice (Retired) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, a former judge nominated by Nawaz Sharif's PML-N, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who was nominated by the PML-Q, which backed Musharraf. According to the Constitution of 1973 presently in vogue (but declared for major amendments by Zardari) the President of Pakistan, who must be a Muslim and a male, is elected by an electoral college composed of members of the two houses of parliament - the 342 seat lower house National Assembly and the 100 member upper house Senate, as well as members of the four provincial assemblies - Sindh, Punjab, North West Frontier and Balochistan. The assemblies have total of 1170 seats, but the number of electoral college votes is 702 since provincial assembly votes are counted on a proportional basis. The new president, who obtains the largest number of votes, will serve for five years as Pakistan's 11th president since 1956, when the country became an Islamic Republic, excluding acting presidents and CMLAs [Chief Martial Law Administrators] during times of military rule.^[18][19] Voting was in progress at the Parliament House, while the Senate members finished casting their votes,^[20]

Zardari was sworn in by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in a ceremony at the presidential palace on September 9, 2008.^[21]He addressed the parliament for the first time on September 20, 2008, but the event was overshadowed by the suicide bomb blast which destroyed the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. After that he addressed the nation and left for America to hold talks with U.S. president George Bush.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Politics

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. (September 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

In a short period, that started with the death of Benazir Bhutto on Decmeber 27, 2007, Asif Ali Zardari has made his mark as a shrewd and a conniving politician justifying deceit on the grounds of expediency^[22]. He outflanked both his rivals, Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif within months of his party's taking over the reins of power. He signed a pact^[23] with Nawaz Sharif to reinstate the pre-Nov 3rd judiciary after the impeachment (or resignation of Pervez Musharraf). Hence the PPP-PMLN coalition forced General (retd) Pervez Musharraf to resign under threats of impeachment.^[24]

After Musharraf's departure Asif Zardari reneged on his pact with his coalition partner, PMLN headed by Nawaz Sharif, to restore the pre-Nov 3rd judiciary. He broke his word saying, that his word is not "Quran or hadeeth."^[25]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Oath controversy

Although Asif Ali Zardari was elected constitutionally, he was administered the oath of office by Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar who took oath as Chief Justice of Pakistan under the PCO.^[26] Earlier, a supreme court ruling by a 7-member bench of the SC had overturned the PCO. The ruling by the 7-member bench stated:^[27]

"Appointment of the chief justice or judges of the Supreme Court or chief justices of the high courts under the new PCO would be unlawful and without jurisdiction."

Hence, Dogar's oath under PCO was in violation of the Supreme Court ruling quoted above. In the opinion of some the top constitutional experts in Pakistan, Zardari's oath administered by the de facto Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar is not legitimate. ^[28]

[edit] Money Laundering

Zardari has been accused of money-laundering activities in a US Senate report on private banking and money-laundering.^[29]

When the governement of Pakistan withdrew cases against Asif Ali Zardari, Daniel Devaud, the Swiss magistrate who brought charges in 1998 against Zardari and Bhutto, then Pakistan's prime minister, said: "The money laundering probe in Switzerland could have been continued. Politely put, it is hard to say there was nothing in the files to indicate corruption."^[30]

[edit] NRO Beneficiary

Prime Beneficiary of the NRO, National Reconciliation Ordinance Zardari is the prime beneficiary of the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) ^[31]issued by the former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. Chief beneficiaries of this ordinance include Asif Ali Zardari, Rehman Malik and the terrorist organization(MQM) workers and leaders.

[edit] Meeting with Sarah Palin

While in US, Mr. Asif Zardari met Sarah Palin. He told her that she is "gorgeous" and said : "Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you". When the photographers asked the two to keep shaking hands, he replied : " If he insists, I might hug you". These remarks sparked a lot of controversy in Pakistan, where general public accused the president of flirting with Ms. Palin when Pakistan is passing through difficult times.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Raising the Hands after delivering the speech to the Party Workers

Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari Crying while holding the Picture of Her Mother Shaheed-e-Jamhoriat Mohtarmma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed

Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari & Asifa Bhutto Zardari Raising the Hands up with the Slogans of Jevee Bhutto

Victory Sign of Asifa Bhutto Zardari & Bakhtwar Bhutto Zardari

[edit] See also

• Benazir Bhutto
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
• Faryal Talpur
• Azra Peechoho
• Hakim Ali Zardari

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Profile: Asif Zardari
• President Asif Ali Zardari's address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 25, 2008
• YouTube.com videos on Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

Political offices
Preceded by Muhammad Mian Soomro Acting	President of Pakistan 2008 – present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Benazir Bhutto	Co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party 2007 – present With Bilawal Bhutto Zardari	Incumbent

v • d • e Presidents of Pakistan I.Mirza · A.Khan · Y.Khan · Z.A.Bhutto · F.I.Chaudhry · Z. ul-Haq · G.I.Khan · W.Sajjad (Acting) · F.Leghari · W.Sajjad (Acting) · M.R.Tarar · P.Musharraf · M.M.Soomro (Acting) · Zardari Italics indicate military rulers