Asif Ali Zardari (Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955) is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Zardari is the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who twice served as Prime Minister of Pakistan. When his wife was assassinated in December 2007, he became the leader of the Pakistan People's Party. He is suspected to be the richest Pakistani (2009) with a networth of nearly US$ 3 billion, up from US$ 1.5 billion in 2007.
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Early life and education
Asif Ali Zardari belongs to a Sindhi family. He was born in Karachi and is the son Hakim Ali Zardari, head of one of the Sindhi tribes, who chose urban life over rustic surroundings. His mother is from the family of Khan Bahadur Hasan Ali Effendi, who was among the founders of the first educational institution in Sindh, "Sindh Madarsa-tul-Islam Karachi".
Zardari acquired his primary education from the Karachi Grammar School and his secondary education from Cadet College, Petaro. While a candidate for parliament, a position for which a 2002 rule requires a college degree, Zardari claimed to have graduated from a college in London. However, to-date no proof has been presented in support of the claim. While the rule for a parlimentarian to be at least graduate was removed before the elections of 2008.
When Asif Ali Zardari stepped into the professional life, the family income had become entirely dependent on one cinema in Karachi. The only other asset was the sole house the entire family was living in, also in Karachi.
Professional Life (1980s)
In the start of 1980 Asif Ali Zardari started dealing in sugar trade, however within a year he had become involved in drug-trafficking, early millions of dollars annually. According to one business partner, Mushtaq Prince, Zardari made a profit of US$ 30 million in three years between 1981-84 by smuggling drugs. Mushtaq Prince claimed to have been introduced to Mr Zardari in 1981 by one of the latter’s close friends Fauzi Ali Kazmi — already declared a proclaimed offender in the case — at the residence of the then Sindh Province information secretary Ahmad Masood. In the second meeting, held at Fauzi Ali Kazmi's residence the three went into partnership and in the wake of this agreement, consignments of hash and heroin were smuggled to Netherlands and other countries. Mushtaq Prince in a court testimony claimed that Ais Ali Zardari then double crossed him and to-date has not given him his share of US$ 7.5 million.1
In July 1999 Asif Zardari along with Shohrang Khan and Arif Baloch were indicted in a case of drug-trafficking.2
Marriage and prison term
Until his marriage with Benazir Bhutto on 18 December 1987, Zardari was a relatively unknown figure on the political scene of Pakistan. He became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and also served as the Minister of Environment during his wife's second term as the Prime Minister (1993–1996).
1990
In 1990, Zardari faced charges of strapping a remote-controlled bomb to the leg of Pakistani-born British businessman, Murtaza Hussain Bukhari, sending him to the bank to withdraw US$800,000. Zardari was later sent to jail where he stayed until his wife’s party won the election in 1993. Zardari was released from jail in 1993 and became a government minister. Zardari earned the nickname, "Mr 10%" following allegations of corruption. From 1997 to 2004, Zardari was kept in jail on corruption charges and accusations of murder. Pakistani investigators accused Zardari and his wife Benazir Bhutto for embezzling as much as US$1.5 billion from government accounts. He was also accused of allegedly plotting the murder of Murtaza Bhutto, the brother of his wife Benazir Bhutto. He was later cleared.
1996
Under the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan through Hussain Lawai acting as the conduit a deal was struck between Asif Ali Zardari and Abdul Razak Yaqoob. It was alleged that the deal between Zardari and ARY Gold of Dubai caused a loss of Rs. 1.82 billion to the national exchequer. The deal gave sole right of import of gold to Pakistan to ARY Gold and also reduced the customs duty on gold in return of a commission to Asif Ali Zardari.
In a span of 18 months more than four lakh tolas of gold was imported by ARY Gold to Pakistan and commission was paid to Zardari while the duo was also involved in money laundering and within a span of 18 months 543 million dollar was sent outside Pakistan.
2007
A New York psychiatrist found in March 2007 that Zardari's time in jail left him with memory impairments. Zardari claims to have been tortured. When Zardari stood for the Pakistani presidency in 2008, the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, said that Zardari had no current mental condition requiring psychiatric help or medication.
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 became the co-chairman of the PPP, 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. Chairman Zardari and 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. 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. On 5 March 2008, Zardari was cleared of five corruption charges as part of a court ruling which "abolished the cases against all public office holders", including corruption and illegal use of property under NRO, the National Reconciliation Ordinance. He had another trial on the remaining charges on 14 April 2008, when he was cleared under the same NRO. 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 to announce that Yousaf Raza Gillani would be the PM for a five year term.
Presidential candidacy
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 was 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. There was nevertheless strong disagreement among the current coalition partners, and Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party was threatening to leave the coalition as a result. 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.
The New York Times reported that Zalmay Khalilzad, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, had been unofficially advising Asif Ali Zardari. 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.
Criminal and Corruption Charges
Money laundering
An associate of Bhutto said: "Mr Zardari has an image problem, because of a lingering reputation of corruption, despite not having been convicted of any wrongdoing. He will need to change this image.”
Zardari was accused of money-laundering activities in a US Senate report on private banking and money-laundering.
Zardari was under criminal investigation in Switzerland over receipts of kickbacks from two Swiss-based companies while his wife, the late Benazir Bhutto, served as the country's prime minister in the 1990s, a Swiss judge and two Swiss lawyers close to the case told Newsweek. Judge Daniel Devaud continued investigations despite pressure from US officials.
In Britain, the decade-old civil proceedings focus on Zardari. Zardari is accused of using illicit funds to acquire the 365-acre Rockwood estate, a $6.5-million property featuring a Tudor-style mansion and two adjoining farms in the Surrey district. The estate was bought and refurbished in 1995 through trusts in the Isle of Man and Liechtenstein, in addition to firms in the Caribbean linked to Bhutto, Zardari and the alleged kickbacks, according to the lawsuit. According to British court records, Zardari steadfastly denied ownership until January 2006, when he acknowledged he owned the property. The judge did rule that there is a “reasonable prospect” of proving that funds used to refurbish the estate were “the fruits of corruption,” according to the documents
NRO beneficiary
Zardari is a beneficiary of the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) issued by the former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. Chief beneficiaries of this ordinance include Asif Ali Zardari, Rehman Malik and MQM workers and leaders.
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. BBC reported that Zardari "won 481 votes, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory." 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."
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 during times of military rule. Voting was in progress at the Parliament House, while the Senate members finished casting their votes.
Zardari was sworn in by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in a ceremony at the presidential palace on September 9, 2008. 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. Zardari picked China for first state visit after being elected in September. He went to the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly.
2008
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 Provisional Constitutional Order. 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:
"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.
Tensions with China
Before his election as the President, Zardari had stated that his first official visit as the President would be to China to underline the importance attached by him to Pakistan's relations with China. He did not keep his word and instead went on a private visit to the United Arab Emirates and the UK and then on an official visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session. Pakistani officials have been explaining this away by claiming that his visit to New York was not a bilateral visit to the US and that his first official bilateral visit would still be to China. However, Chinese had indirectly voiced its anger over this issue and the delay caused in recovering the kidnapped Chiense workers.3
Meeting with Governor Sarah Palin
On September 24 of 2008 while in the United States, Mr. Asif Zardari met Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, the U.S. Republican Party's Vice Presidential candidate. 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 controversy in Pakistan, where members of the public accused the president of flirting with Sarah Palin when Pakistan is passing through difficult times.
2009
Brawl between Two PPP Groups
On 10 May 2009, while Asif Ali Zardari while speaking at a meeting of overseas Pakistanis at a hotel in New York City, a brawl errupted between two groups of PPP. The American secret service rushed President Zardari out of the hall at the tail end of the meeting when a fight broke out between members of two groups of Pakistan People’s Party, each one accusing the other of trying to hog the limelight. One group objected to presentation of a plaque to President Zardari by the PPP New York Chapter, instead of PPP USA. Qamaruzzaman Kaira tried to calm down the enraged PPP workers but another altercation emerged in the corridor and the minister was escorted to his room.4
Assets beyond Means
In December 2009 it was announced by National Accountability Bureau that Asif Ali Zirdari has assets between US$ 1.5 billion5 and US$ 1.6 billion6 which are far beyond his means. Of these £920 million (US$ 1.5 billion) £876 million pounds are in properties and deposits banked in Britain, the US, France and Spain, and £175 million in Pakistani banks.7 However, these estimates are from the period 1997-1999 according to Asif Ali Zardari's official Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar.8 According to the unofficial estimates, Asif Ali Zardair had doubled his net worth within a year of being in office, with many sources putting his total assets well above US$ 3 billion by the end of 2009, making him the second richest person in Pakistan, behind Mian Muhammad Mansha9
Corruption Case
The case of foreign assets worth $1.5 billion and $60 million Swiss accounts which was filed against Asif Zardari was again under review in Pakistan's Supereme Court.10
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