Asif Ali Zardari, born July 26, 1955, Karachi, Pakistan is
the president of Pakistan (2008 – present ) and de facto leader of the Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) following the assassination of his wife, former prime
minister Benazir Bhutto, on December 27, 2007.
Zardari, the son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a Sindhi landlord,
businessman, and politician was educated at Saint Patrick’s School in Karachi
and later studied business in London. He gained a reputation as a playboy and
gadfly for his easygoing lifestyle; an avid polo player and an intense
competitor, Zardari demonstrated little interest in the political scene. His
betrothal to Bhutto, who was the daughter of former president (1971–73) and
prime minister (1973–77) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and whom he had first met five
days prior to the public announcement of their engagement, surprised many
observers. On December 18, 1987, the two were married in an arranged and
relatively simple ceremony, and they went on to have three children: a son,
Bilawal, and two daughters, Bakhtwar and Asifa.
Mr Zardari's mercurial career has taken many a dramatic turn
since his marriage in December 1987 to the charismatic former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto. His career standing has veered from being
imprisoned for corruption; complaining that he was tortured when behind bars,
to taking the country's top job by leading the PPP to victory in general
elections. He also served as a Senator until October
1999 coup by General Pervez Musharraf, in which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was
ousted and the Senate and assemblies were both dissolved.
Following Bhutto’s death in December 2007, Zardari
named his son, Bilawal, chairman of the PPP and made himself the party’s co-chairman.
In the parliamentary elections of February 2008, the PPP captured one-third of
the available seats, while the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won
one-fourth of the seats. In March, the two parties formed a coalition
government. Although disagreements destabilized the administration in the
months following its formation, in August 2008 Zardari and Sharif led the
movement to impeach President Pervez Musharraf. To avoid further public
embarrassment, Musharraf resigned his office. Perhaps the high point of his political life came in 2008, when
he played a pivotal role with former political enemies to force President
Pervez Musharraf to resign.
Mr. Zardari resolutely stood by his party as well as his
wife, Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated on 27
December 2007, shortly after returning to Pakistan from exile. On 30 December
2007, Asif Ali Zardari became the co-chairman of the PPP, along with his son
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
With the election of Asif Ali Zardari, the balance shifts
heavily in favor of the president, thus compromising the spirit of
parliamentary democracy. President Zardari as position as the co-chairman of
the ruling party makes him a kind of super prime minister. Furthermore, the
judges deposed on November 2, 2007 by President Musharraf have not been
restored and so the superior judiciary comes under the influence of the newly
elected president.
