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.
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, earning 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 Shorang Khan and Arif Baloch were indicted in a case of drug-trafficking.2 Also, under Saifur Rehman's NAB investigations, Pakistan received confessions made by several Pakistani norcotics traffickers in US prisons, who disclosed Zardari related information after their lawyers had informed them that there was no hope of reducing their sentences no matter what they disclosed.3
Capture by US DEA for Drugs
London Sunday Times reported in 23 February 2009 that Asif Ali Zardari was once caught in a DEA drug sting. An undercover DEA informant, John Banks, told the Sunday Times that, posing as a member of the U.S. mafia, he had taped Zardari and two associates for five hours; Zardari discussed how he could ship hashish and heroin to the United States, as he had done already to Great Britain. A retired senior British customs officer confirmed that the government had received reports of Zardari's alleged financing of the drug trade from “about three or four sources.” Banks “claimed the subsequent investigation was halted after the CIA said it did not want to destabilise Pakistan.”4
Testimonies from Drugs Smugglers
Drugs smuggler Sadruddin Ganji also accused Asif Zardari of drugs trafficking. According to Sadrudding Ganji, in early 1980s he was coerced by Mushtaq Malik aka Black Prince into the drugs business. When he balked, said Ganji, Zardari who was Mushtaq's business partner in money laundering said that he was business partner with Mushtaq in all his activities (including drugs).5
Mushtaq Malik aka Black Prince aka Mushtaq Prince in a written statement from Massachusetts federal prinson wrote:
"I was told that Asif Zardari would legalize our drug money and invest it in sugar business. I agreed to the proposal and began ventures with Fawzi [Ali Kazmi, an alleged drug dealer] and Asif as my partners. We continued doing business until January 1985. From 1981 to 1985 we sent more than 600 kg of heroin and about 5 tons of hashish to various countries around the world… [Kazmi] told me that we were going to become very rich because of Asif Zardari's marriage to the future Prime Minister of Pakistan."6
Haji Ayub Afridi's family alleged that Asif Zardari through his brother-in-law Iqbal Habib approached Ayub Afridi with a proposition: for a price of nearly US$ 1 million he would ensure that Pakistani criminal cases against him would be dropped. The Afridi family told TIME that they paid Iqbal Habib US$ 650,000 and waited. Zardari had reportedly passed on the message to Ayub Afridi that all court cases against him would stop within two months. They didn't. By 1995, Ayub Afridi had no option but to turn himself in to US officials, hoping that his sentence would be lightened. "We were becoming frustrated," was the remark by Babu Khan Afridi, one of Ayub Afridi's nephews. The Afridis then again contacted Zardari's brother-in-law, who promised immediate action - but only when the balance of the US$ 1 million was paid. The Afridis grew suspicious. "We said 'OK' and asked him to come to Landikotal. Then we took him (Iqbal Habib) hostage. This is our custom for settling property disputes," said Babu Khan Afridi. Iqbal Habib was seized in 1994 but as Babu Khan Afridi said, "The strange thing is, nobody has asked for him back." Neither Zardari nor anyone else filed a kidnapping complaint against the Afridis and Iqbal Habib was still in Afridi's captivity until 1998.7
Karachi Police's SSP Mumtaz Burney in 1996 after his arrest confessed to have released notorious drug baron Shorang Khan in 1994 at the behest of Asif Zardari. Shorang Khan's subsequent interrogation by a joint investigation team investigation team had only further substantiated the allegations that Asif Zardari remained in close contact with drug barons and remained a source of strength to them in their illegal and immoral operations.8
Asif Zardari's lawyer Farooq Naek in 1998 had said, "He is not involved in drugs. These are cooked-up accusations. It was the government of Benazir Bhutto which extradited these drug barons."9
In 2004 the prosecution submitted application asking the court to include a videocassette as additional evidence against Asif Zardari's involvement in drugs. According to the prosecution, the tape contains statements from Ayub Afridi, Anwar Khattak and Mushtaq Malik, alias Black Prince, on Mr Zardari’s involvement in drug trafficking.10
Marriage
Until his marriage with Benazir Bhutto on 18 December 1987, Zardari was a relatively unknown figure on the political scene of Pakistan. The often cited rumor that Benazir Bhutto's marriage was arranged with Asif Ali Zardari is contradicted by many documented accounts. It seems that Zardari and Benazir Bhutto were intimately involved from at least 1985 when Zardari openly started projecting himself as soon to be getting married to the future Prime Minister of Pakistan.11
1988 Elections and Prison Term
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).
MR. 10%
After the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto's Government, the caretaker Prime Minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, a Bhutto enemy, pushed forward a process of "accountability," which principally involves investigating crimes committed by the old regime. Jataoi said in an interview:
"A 10% commission had to be paid to get permission for setting up any project. Commissions had to be paid to get bank loans … Zardari is a party to all that happened. He is the kingpin."12
It was this 10% commission on every project which earned Zardari the nickname Mr. 10%.
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.
Oil for Food Scandal in Iraq in 2005
Petroline FZC (registered in Sharjah) was part of the Bayoil network and was involved in the infamous United Nations oil-for-food scandal. Benazir Bhutto was the chairperson with 34% shares while Rehman Malik and Benazir Bhutto's newphew Ibrahim Jaafry/Hasan Ali Jaafry were 33% owners each and directors in the company. According to the Volcker's inquiry Petroline FZC traded $144m of Iraqi oil, and made $2m of illegal payments to Saddam Hussein's regime. Through Petroline FZC, Saddam Hussain got over US$1.4 billion commission deposited in a Bank of Jordan branch.
President Musharraf's amnesty dropping corruption charges against public officials only covers the period 1986-1999. The Petroline FZC transactions came after that, which means that in theory a charge is possible.13
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 at the end of his term in 2009. Had Khalilzad returned home, a good working relationship with Islamabad was 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
Acquittal in drugs case
On 19 May 2008 the last case against Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari came to an end in Lahore when an additional sessions judge cleared him of charges of drug trafficking.14
Aitzaz Ahsan's Interview
In June 2008 Aitzaz Ahsan gave an interview to James Traub, the New York Times reporter and claimed that many of the corruption cases against Zardari and Benazir were justified. Aitizaz Ahsan had defended Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto in 14 cases, including, he said, “corruption against both,” and in Zardari’s case, “kidnapping, ransom and murder.” And of these corruption cases he said that "Most of them" were justified. He also added, "The type of expenses that she had and he has are not from sources of income that can be lawfully explained and accounted for."15
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.
UN General Assembly
He went to the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly on 25 September 2008 and gave his trademark speech with a framed picture of his assassinated wife, the late Benazir Bhutto nearby to remind the world that he's her husband.
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.16
US Visit
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.
Views on Pakistani Deaths
He had told CIA officials privately in late 2008 that any innocent deaths from the strikes were the cost of doing business against senior al-Qaeda leaders. Zardari exact words were: 18
"Kill the seniors. Collateral damage worries you Americans. It does not worry me."
2009
Forced Purchase of Land
In March 2009, a company owned by Zardari and his son Bilawal purchased 307 acres of land in Islamabad for Rs 62 million. Zardari had been accused in 1997 of buying the land through an intermediary. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) valued adjacent land at Rs 850,000 per kanal (Rs 6.8 million per acre); if the 307 acres of land were valued on a similar rate, it would be valued around Rs 2 billion. Another owner of the company, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, when asked if President Zardari had used the influence of his office to buy this land, said: "No, no such influence was used. It was a fair business deal.
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. Increase in Corruption
Under Asif Ali Zardari corruption in Pakistan surged by whopping 400 percent in the 3 years according National Corruption Perception Survey 2009 carried out by Transparency International.
Cyber Crimes Act
In July 2009 a Cyber Crimes Act was passed which also included that law that Pakistanis who send jokes about Asif Zardari by text message, email or blog risk being arrested and given a 14-year prison sentence. Assets beyond Means
In December 2009 it was announced by National Accountability Bureau that Asif Ali Zirdari has assets between US$ 1.5 billion23 and US$ 1.6 billion24 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.25 However, these estimates are from the period 1997-1999 according to Asif Ali Zardari's official Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar. 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 Mansha
UN General Assembly
He went to the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly 25 September 2009, and gave his trademark speech with a framed picture of his assassinated wife, the late Benazir Bhutto nearby to remind the world that he's her husband
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. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on 8 Dec 2009 submitted in the Supreme Court the report showing President Asif Ali Zardari possessing assets worth $1.5 billion (Rs 120 billion) abroad and worth Rs 24.14 billion in the country.
2010
Trippling Cost of Dams
The cost of five small dams with a power generation capacity of just 9.5megawatt and storage capacity of 0.46 million acre feet (MAF) has increased by a whopping 180 per cent, from Rs35.6 billion to Rs100 billion in one year, raising serious questions in the minds of international lenders.
A senior official of the Planning Commission said it was a “bureaucratic blunder”, but declined to say if anybody was found guilty of any manipulation. He said some “elements” had added a number of unnecessary components in feasibility studies because they thought that President Asif Ali Zardari was taking keen interest in the dams and nobody would question their cost. He said the Planning Commission had questioned the cost estimates a few months ago for want of detailed feasibility studies and PC-1s, but had to give “anticipatory approval” on the orders of a top bureaucrat working at the Presidency because of a $700 million loan facility offered by China. The alarm bells first started ringing when the projects were also shared with the Friends of Democratic Pakistan.
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 Princess Seher Why Hussain Haqqani is not being called back!!..Or he is unwilling to come back!!..Or Americans wouldn't like him to come back!!....Simply because whatever he did was done on orders of zardari...... And now if he comes back, then has to fac...See More
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