Wikipedia

Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari[a] (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 10 March 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party from December 2007 until December 2015.[3]

Asif Ali Zardari
آصف علي زرداري
Zardari in 2024
11th and 14th President of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 March 2024
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Preceded byArif Alvi
In office
9 September 2008 – 9 September 2013
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (Caretaker)
Nawaz Sharif
Preceded byMuhammad Mian Soomro (acting)
Succeeded byMamnoon Hussain
President of PPP-P[1]
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 December 2015
Preceded byAmeen Faheem
Co-Chairperson of the PPP
In office
30 December 2007 – 27 December 2015
Preceded byPosition established
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office
19 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
In office
2 December 1988 – 6 August 1990
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
In office
March 1997 – 12 October 1999
Federal Minister for Investment
In office
1995–1996
PresidentFarooq Leghari
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
Federal Minister for Environment
In office
1993–1996
PresidentFarooq Leghari
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
Member of National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
29 February 2024 – 9 March 2024
In office
13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023
In office
19 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
In office
6 November 1990 – 18 July 1993
Personal details
Born (1955-07-26) 26 July 1955 (age 69)
Karachi, Federal Capital Territory, Pakistan (now Sindh, Pakistan)
Political partyPakistan People's Party
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1987; died 2007)​
ChildrenBilawal Zardari
Bakhtawar Zardari
Aseefa Zardari
Parent(s)Hakim Ali Zardari[2]
Bilquis Sultana
RelativesSee Zardari family
This article contains Urdu text. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined letters running left to right or other symbols instead of Urdu script.

He earlier served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, the first president born after Independence. He is the widower of twice-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2018 to 2023, and in 2024.

The son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a landowner from Sindh, Zardari rose to prominence after his marriage to Benazir Bhutto in 1987, who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan after her election in 1988. When Bhutto's government was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1990, Zardari was widely criticized for involvement in corruption scandals that led to its collapse.[4][5] When Bhutto was reelected in 1993, Zardari served as Federal Investment Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan Environmental Protection Council. Following increasing tensions between Bhutto's brother Murtaza and Zardari, Murtaza was killed by police in Karachi on 20 September 1996.[6][7] Bhutto's government was dismissed a month later by President Farooq Leghari, while Zardari was arrested and indicted for Murtaza's murder as well as corruption charges.[8][9]

Although incarcerated, he nominally served in Parliament after being elected to the National Assembly in 1990 and Senate in 1997. He was released from jail in 2004 and went into self-exile to Dubai, but returned when Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007. As the new co-chairman of the PPP, he led his party to victory in the 2008 general elections. He spearheaded a coalition that forced military ruler Pervez Musharraf to resign, and was elected president on 6 September 2008. He was acquitted of various criminal charges the same year.[10][6]

As president, Zardari remained a strong American ally in the war in Afghanistan, despite prevalent public disapproval of the United States following the Raymond Davis incident and the NATO attack in Salala in 2011. Domestically, Zardari achieved the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment in 2010, which constitutionally reduced his presidential powers. His attempt to prevent the reinstatement of Supreme Court judges failed in the face of massive protests led by his political rival Nawaz Sharif. The restored Supreme Court dismissed the PPP's elected Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani for contempt in 2012 after Gillani refused to write to the Government of Switzerland to reopen corruption cases against Zardari. Zardari's tenure was also criticised for mishandling nationwide floods in 2010, and growing terrorist violence. Following multiple bombings of Hazaras in Quetta in early 2013, Zardari dismissed his provincial government in Balochistan.

Towards the end of his term, Zardari recorded abysmally low approval ratings, ranging from 11 to 14%.[11][12] After the PPP was heavily defeated in the 2013 general election, Zardari became the country's first elected president to complete his constitutional term on 9 September 2013.[13] His legacy remains divisive, with political observers accusing his administration of corruption and cronyism.[14][15] However, he became president of Pakistan again in March 2024 due to a coalition agreement which was reached following the 2024 Pakistani general election.[16]

Early life and education

Zardari was born on 26 July 1955 in Karachi, Sindh to a prominent Sindhi family and received his upbringing and education in Karachi.[17][18] He belongs to the Zardari family and is the only son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a tribal chief and prominent landowner, and Bilquis Sultana Zardari.[19][20] His paternal grandmother was of Iraqi descent,[21] while his mother was the granddaughter of Hassan Ali Effendi, a Sindhi educationist who is known as the founder of the Sindh Madressatul Islam.[22][23][24]

In his youth, he enjoyed polo and boxing.[25] He led a polo team known as the Zardari Four.[26] His father owned Bambino[27]—a famous cinema in Karachi—and donated movie equipment to his school.[25] He also appeared in a 1969 movie, Salgira, as a child.[28] Zardari's academic background remains a question mark.[25] He received his primary education from Karachi Grammar School. His official biography says he graduated from Cadet College, Petaro in 1972.[29][25] He went to St Patrick's High School, Karachi from 1973 to 1974; a school clerk says he failed his final examination there.[25] In March 2008, he claimed he had graduated from the London School of Business Studies with a bachelor of education degree in the early 1970s.[27] Zardari's official biography states he also attended Pedinton School in Britain.[25][27][30] His British education, however, has not been confirmed, and a search did not turn up any Pedinton School in London.[25][27][30] The issue of his diploma was contentious because a 2002 rule required candidates for Parliament to hold a college degree,[27] but the rule was overturned by Pakistan's Supreme Court in April 2008.[25][30]

Career

Early political career and Benazir Bhutto era

Zardari's initial political career was unsuccessful. In 1983, he lost an election for a district council seat in Nawabshah, a city of Sindh, where his family owned thousands of acres of farmland.[25] He then went into real estate.[25]

He married Benazir Bhutto on 18 December 1987.[31][32] The arranged marriage, done in accordance with Pakistani culture, was initially considered an unlikely match.[31][32] The lavish sunset ceremony in Karachi was followed by immense night celebrations that included over 100,000 people.[31][32] The marriage enhanced Bhutto's political position in a country where older unmarried women are frowned upon.[31][32] Zardari deferred to his wife's wishes by agreeing to stay out of politics.[32]

In 1988, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq died when his plane exploded in midair.[33] A few months later, Bhutto became Pakistan's first female prime minister when her party won 94 of 207 seats contested in the 1988 elections.[34]

Involvement in the first Bhutto Administration and first imprisonment

See also: Corruption charges against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari
 
Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, and baby Bilawal in a state visit to Andrews Air Force Base in 1989

He generally stayed out of his wife's first administration, but he and his associates became entangled in corruption cases linked to the government.[4] He was largely blamed for the collapse of the Bhutto administration.[5]

After the dismissal of Bhutto's government in August 1990,[35] Benazir Bhutto and Zardari were prohibited from leaving the country by security forces under the direction of the Pakistan Army.[36] During the interim government between August and October, caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, a Bhutto rival, initiated investigations of corruption by the Bhutto administration.[37] Jatoi accused Zardari of using his wife's political position to charge a ten percent commission for obtaining permission to set up any project or to receive loans.[37] He was tagged with the nickname "Mr. Ten Percent".[25]

He was arrested on 10 October 1990 on charges relating to kidnapping and extortion.[35][38] The charges alleged an extortion scheme that involved tying a supposed bomb to a British businessman's leg.[25] The Bhutto family considered the indictment politically motivated and fabricated.[38] In the October 1990 elections, he was elected to the National Assembly while in jail.[39] Bhutto and the PPP staged a walkout from the inaugural session of the National Assembly to protest Zardari's incarceration.[39] He posted $20,000 bail, but his release was blocked by a government ordinance that removed a court's power to release suspects being tried in the terrorist court, which fast-track trials for alleged terrorists.[5] The ordinance was later revoked and a special court acquitted him of bank fraud and conspiracy to murder political opponents.[5] He was freed in February 1993.[5] In March 1994, Zardari was acquitted of bank fraud charges.[40] All other corruption charges relating to Bhutto's first term were dropped or thrown out of the courts.[41]

On 25 March 1991, the hijackers aboard Singapore Airlines Flight 117 demanded Zardari's release among other demands. The hijackers were killed by Singapore Commandos.[42]

Political involvement in the second Bhutto Administration

In April 1993, he became one of the 18 cabinet ministers in the caretaker government that succeeded Nawaz Sharif's first abridged premiership.[43] The caretaker government lasted until the July elections.[43] After Bhutto's election, he served as her Investment Minister,[41][44] chief of the intelligence bureau,[41] and the head of the Federal Investigation Agency.[41] In February 1994, Benazir sent Zardari to meet with Saddam Hussein in Iraq to deliver medicine in exchange for three detained Pakistanis arrested on the ambiguous Kuwait-Iraq border.[45] In April 1994, Zardari denied allegations that he was wielding unregulated influence as a spouse and acting as "de-facto Prime Minister".[46][47] In March 1995, he was appointed chairman of the new Environment Protection Council.[48][49]

During the beginning of the second Bhutto Administration, a Bhutto family feud between Benazir and her mother, Nusrat Bhutto, surfaced over the political future of Murtaza Bhutto, Nusrat's son and Benazir's younger brother.[50] Benazir thanked Zardari for his support.[50] In September 1996, Murtaza and seven others died in a shootout with police in Karachi, while the city was undergoing a three-year civil war.[51][52] At Murtaza's funeral, Nusrat accused Benazir and Zardari of being responsible and vowed to pursue prosecution.[41][51] Ghinwa Bhutto, Murtaza's widow, also accused Zardari of being behind his killing.[41][53] President Farooq Leghari, who would dismiss the Bhutto government seven weeks after Murtaza's death, also suspected Benazir and Zardari's involvement.[41] Several of Pakistan's leading newspapers alleged that Zardari wanted his brother-in-law out of the way because of Murtaza's activities as head of a breakaway faction of the PPP.[41]

In November 1996, Bhutto's government was dismissed by Leghari primarily because of corruption and Murtaza's death.[41] Zardari was arrested in Lahore while attempting to flee the country to Dubai.[41][52]

Jail and exile

The New York Times report

A major report was published in January 1998 by The New York Times detailing Zardari's vast corruption and misuse of public funds.[54] The report discussed $200 million in kickbacks to Zardari and a Pakistani partner for a $4 billion contract with French military contractor Dassault Aviation, in a deal that fell apart only when the Bhutto government was dismissed.[54] It contained details of two payments of $5 million each by a gold bullion dealer in return for a monopoly on gold imports.[54] It had information from Pakistani investigators that the Bhutto family had allegedly accrued more than $1.5 billion in illicit profits through kickbacks in virtually every sphere of government activity.[54] It also reported Zardari's mid-1990s spending spree, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on jewellery.[54] The arrangements made by the Bhutto family for their wealth relied on Western property companies, Western lawyers, and a network of Western friends.[54] The report described how Zardari had arranged secret contracts, painstaking negotiations, and the dismissal of anyone who objected to his dealings.[54]

Citibank, already under fire for its private-banking practices, got into further trouble as a result of the report.[55] Zardari's financial history was one case study in a 1999 U.S. Senate report on vulnerabilities in banking procedures.[56]

Second imprisonment and conviction

In March 1997, Zardari was elected to the Senate while in a Karachi jail.[57][58] In December 1997, he was flown to Islamabad under tight security to take his oath.[57]

In July 1998, he was indicted for corruption in Pakistan after the Swiss government handed over documents to Pakistani authorities relating to money laundering.[59] The Swiss had also indicted him for money laundering.[59] At the same time, in a separate case, he and 18 others were indicted for conspiracy to murder Murtaza Bhutto.[60] After criminal prosecutions began, Citibank closed Zardari's account.[55]

In April 1999, Bhutto and Zardari were convicted for receiving indemnities from a Swiss goods inspection company that was hired to end corruption in the collection of customs duties.[61] The couple received a fine of $8.6 million.[61][62] Both were also sentenced to five years imprisonment, but Bhutto could not be extradited back to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile.[61][62] Zardari was already in jail awaiting trial on separate charges.[61][62] The evidence used against them had been gathered by Swiss investigators and the Pakistani Bureau of Accountability.[61][63]

In May 1999, he was hospitalised after an alleged attempted suicide.[64] He claimed it was a murder attempt by the police.[64]

In August 2003, a Swiss judge convicted Bhutto and Zardari of money laundering and sentenced them to six months imprisonment and a fine of $50,000.[65] In addition, they were required to return $11 million to the Pakistani government.[65] The conviction involved charges relating to kickbacks from two Swiss firms in exchange for customs fraud.[66] In France, Poland, and Switzerland, the couple faced additional allegations.[67]

In November 2004, he was released on bail by court order.[68][69][70] A month later, he was unexpectedly arrested for failing to show up for a hearing on a murder case in Islamabad.[68][69][70] He was placed under house arrest in Karachi.[68][70] A day later, he was released on $5,000 bail.[68][69] His release, rearrest, and then release again was regarded as a sign of growing reconciliation between Musharraf's government and the PPP.[68][69] After his second release in late 2004, he left for exile in Dubai.[25][71]

He returned to Lahore in April 2005.[71][72][73] Police prevented him from holding rallies by escorting him from the airport to his home.[71][72][73] He criticised Pervez Musharraf's government, but rumours of reconciliation between Musharraf and the PPP grew.[72][73] Zardari went back to Dubai in May 2005.[74][75]

In June 2005, he had a heart attack and was treated in the United Arab Emirates.[74][75] A PPP spokesman stated he underwent angioplasty in the United States.[75] In September 2005, he did not show up for a Rawalpindi hearing on corruption charges; the court issued an arrest warrant.[75] His lawyers stated he could not come because he was recovering from his treatment.[75] Following a request by the Rawalpindi court, Interpol issued a red notice in January 2006 against the couple which called on member nations to decide on the couple's extradition.[76][77]

When Bhutto announced in September 2007 her upcoming return to Pakistan, her husband was in New York City undergoing medical treatment.[78] After the October 2007 bombing in Karachi that tainted Bhutto's return, he accused Pakistani intelligence services of being behind the attacks and claimed "it was not done by militants".[79][80] He had not accompanied Bhutto, staying in Dubai with their daughters. Bhutto called for the removal of the chief investigator of the attacks because she claimed he had been involved in Zardari's alleged torture in prison in 1999.[81]

In November 2007, Musharraf instituted emergency rule for six weeks (see Pakistani state of emergency, 2007),[82] under the pretext of rising Islamist militancy, a few days after Bhutto's departure for Dubai to meet with Zardari.[83][84] Immediately after the state of emergency was invoked, Bhutto returned to Pakistan, while Zardari again stayed behind in Dubai.[83][85] Emergency rule was initiated right before the Supreme Court of Pakistan began deliberations on the legality of Musharraf's U.S.-backed proposal—the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)—to drop corruption charges against Bhutto and Zardari in return for a joint Bhutto-Musharraf coalition to govern Pakistan.[83][84] Bhutto and Zardari sympathised with Pervez Musharraf on his feud with the Supreme Court, but simultaneously criticised the imposition of martial law.[83][84][85] Before the Supreme Court could issue a decision, Musharraf replaced its members with his supporters.[83][84]

In the midst of his exile, Zardari had several different legal problems. In Pakistan, Musharraf granted him amnesty for his alleged offences through the National Reconciliation Ordinance, drafted in October 2007.[66] However, the ordinance faced mounting public pressure and an uncompromising judiciary.[66] In addition, it only dealt with charges up to 1999.[66] This left open the possibility of investigations into his alleged involvement in about $2 million in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, discovered in October 2005, under the oil-for-food program.[66] If the ordinance was rescinded, he would have had to deal with charges relating to evading duties on an armoured BMW, commissions from a Polish tractor manufacturer, and a kickback from a gold bullion dealer.[66] In Switzerland, Bhutto and Zardari appealed the 2003 Swiss conviction, which required the reopening of the case in October 2007.[66] In November 2007, Swiss authorities returned the frozen $60 million to him through offshore companies because of the National Reconciliation Ordinance.[86] In Spain, a criminal investigation was opened over the money laundering for the oil-for-food program because of the illicit profits handled through Spanish firms.[66] In Britain, he was fighting a civil case against the Pakistani government for the proceeds from the liquidation sale of a Surrey mansion.[66] He successfully used his medical diagnosis to postpone a verdict on his British manor trial.[87][88][89]

In exile, he shifted between homes in New York, London, and Dubai, where his three children lived.[25]

On the night of 27 December 2007, he returned to Pakistan following his wife's assassination.[90]

Co-chairperson of the PPP

Bhutto's assassination and succession

Main article: Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Zardari prevented Bhutto's autopsy in accordance with Islamic principles.[91][92] He and their children attended her funeral, which was held the next day.[93] He denied government allegations that the assassination was sponsored by Al-Qaida.[91][94] He called for an international inquiry into her death and stated that she would still be alive if Musharraf's government had provided adequate protection.[92][95][96] He and his family offered to accept Musharraf's demand to exhume Bhutto's body in exchange for a United Nations inquiry, but Musharraf rejected the proposal.[97]

In Bhutto's political will, she had designated Zardari her successor as party leader.[91][94][98] However, their nineteen-year-old son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, became Chairman of the PPP because Zardari favoured Bilawal to represent Bhutto's legacy, in part to avoid division within the party due to his own unpopularity.[91][94][99] He did, however, serve as co-chairman of the PPP for at least three years until Bilawal completed his studies overseas.[91][98][99]

February parliamentary elections and coalition formation

Main article: 2008 Pakistani general election

Zardari called for no delays to the 8 January parliamentary elections and for the participation of all opposition parties.[91] Other major political parties quickly agreed to participate, ending any chance of a boycott.[91][92] Because of the turmoil after the Bhutto assassination, the elections were postponed six weeks to 18 February.[92][100] In January 2008, he suggested that if his party did win a majority, it might form a coalition with Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q).[100][101] He and Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party (PML-N), threatened national protests if any vote-rigging was attempted.[101][102] He himself could not run for Parliament because he had not filed election papers in November 2008, back when he had no foreseeable political ambition while Bhutto was alive.[103]

The PPP and the PML-N won the largest and second largest number of seats respectively in the February elections.[103][104] He and Sharif agreed to form a coalition government, ending American hopes of a power-sharing deal between him and Musharraf.[103][104] They agreed to restore the judiciary, but Zardari took a less stringent stance than Sharif.[104][105] He met with U.S. ambassador Anne W. Patterson, who pushed for a pact with Musharraf.[104] To strengthen the new coalition, he reached out to Awami National Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Baloch nationalist leaders, who had all boycotted the elections.[106][107]

After weeks of speculation and party infighting, he said he did not want to become prime minister.[107][108][109] In mid-March 2008, he chose Yousaf Raza Gillani for prime minister in a snub to the more politically powerful Makhdoom Amin Fahim.[109]

2008 coalition government

See also: Movement to impeach Pervez Musharraf

He and Sharif agreed in a 9 March 2008 agreement, known as the Murree Declaration, to the reinstatement by 30 April 2008 of 60 judges previously sacked by Musharraf.[110][111] The deadline was later extended to 12 May.[110] He and Sharif held unsuccessful talks at London in May.[110][112] After the coalition failed to restore the judiciary, the PML-N withdrew from the government in mid-May, pulling its ministers out of the cabinet.[110][111][112][113][114] The coalition regrouped, again with the PML-N, and proposed a constitutional amendment that would remove the power of the President to dismiss Parliament.[111][113][114] By late May, the coalition was set in a confrontation with Musharraf.[113][114] At the same time, the government was successful in getting Pakistan readmitted to the Commonwealth.[115]

He and Sharif met in Lahore in June 2008 to discuss Musharraf's removal and the constitutional amendments, which the PML-N viewed as not going far enough to fulfill the Murree declaration.[111][116] He opposed impeachment calls because he claimed the coalition did not have the two-thirds majority in both legislative bodies—National Assembly and Senate.[111][116] He was unwilling to restore the judiciary as divisions in the coalition grew and popular sentiment shifted towards Sharif.[117][118] The coalition criticised the government for barring Sharif from competing in the June by-elections.[117][118][119] Because of the impasses over Musharraf and the judiciary, the coalition could not address rising food shortages and spiraling inflation, which was the highest in 30 years.[111]

In August 2008, Zardari relented, and the coalition agreed to proceed full speed towards Musharraf's impeachment by drafting a charge-sheet against him.[120][121] The coalition charged him with high treason for the 1999 coup and the imposition of martial law.[120] He warned Musharraf against dismissing Parliament, and the coalition selected Gillani instead of Musharraf to represent Pakistan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[121][122] On 18 August, Musharraf resigned in order to avoid impeachment.[123][124][125][126] Although Zardari favoured granting Musharraf immunity from prosecution, the coalition could not agree on a decision.[123][124][126] The coalition also could not reach a united stance on the future of the judiciary.[123][124][125][126]

Rise to presidency

Main article: 2008 Pakistani presidential election

Presidential elections were held within three weeks after the departure of Musharraf.[127] Zardari vowed to pursue an unpopular campaign against tribal militancy in Pakistan and had the support of the United States.[127][128][129] He claimed he had a London business school degree to satisfy a prerequisite for the presidency, but his party did not produce a certificate.[130] He was endorsed by the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for the presidency.[131] The PML-N nominated former justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, while the PML-Q put forth Mushahid Hussain Sayed.[132][133] Zardari won a majority in the Electoral College with 481 of 702 votes.[b][127][133][134][135] He was elected president on 6 September 2008.[c][136][137]

First term as President (2008–2013)

Initial days

At the inauguration on 9 September 2008, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was a guest of honour, which was a signal for much closer cooperation between the two nations in addressing the tribal insurgency along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.[138][139] After the election, Zardari promised to approve the constitutional provision that removed the President's power to dismiss Parliament, but public scepticism remained on whether he would actually carry out his promise.[127] His economic competence was questioned after allegations that he had raised grain procurement prices through inflationary subsidies and scrapped the capital gains tax.[140] His first parliamentary speech was overshadowed by 20 September Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing.[141][142][143] A few days later, he went to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on his first overseas trip as president.[144]

 
Zardari and Bush meeting in 2008.
 
Zardari with Emomali Rahmon, Dmitry Medvedev and Hamid Karzai

United Nations visit

See also: Pakistan and the United Nations

From 23 to 26 September 2008, he met with various foreign leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao.[145][146][147] He suffered political embarrassment by flirting with U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and making tongue-in-cheek comments about her.[148][149][150][151] Although, at the United Nations General Assembly, he publicly condemned U.S drone attacks in Pakistan,[152] The Washington Post reported that he had signed a "secret deal" when he met with senior American officials that arranged for the coordination of Predator strikes and a jointly approved list of prominent targets.[153][154] He and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to resume peace talks by the end of 2008.[155]

Economic crises

See also: Periods of stagflation in Pakistan

From 14 to 17 October 2008, he was in China[156][157] to negotiate foreign aid, as Pakistan faced the possibility of defaulting on its payments.[158] China refused to offer any aid commitments, but instead promised to provide assistance in the development of two nuclear power plants and more future business investments.[156][158]

After Saudi Arabia, Britain, China, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates refused to provide any bailout,[159] he officially asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance in solving Pakistan's balance of payments problem on 22 October.[160]

He went to Saudi Arabia from 4 to 6 November in hopes of obtaining financial aid and securing trade agreements.[161][162] However, leaked cables revealed increasingly strained relations between Zardari and Saudi royalty, primarily because of Saudi distrust of Zardari and preference for Sharif.[163][164][165] Weaker cooperation led to decreased oil subsidies as part of a broader Saudi policy of withholding monetary assistance.[163][165]

In mid-November 2008, Zardari's government officially sent a letter of intent to the IMF regarding a bailout to help increase its foreign exchange reserves.[166] In a $11.3 billion multi-year loan package, Pakistan received a $7.4 billion loan for 2008–10.[167][168] The IMF stipulated stringent reform conditions, which included rebuilding the tax structure and privatising state enterprises.[168] The World Bank and Asian Development Bank withheld a combined $3 billion aid in the 2010–11 fiscal year and the IMF withheld since May 2010 the last segment of its aid package.[168]

In January 2011, the MQM withdrew from the government.[169][170] Zardari's ruling coalition averted a government collapse by accepting the opposition's economic proposals, which restored gas subsidies and abandoned many of the IMF's suggested reforms.[d][169]

In an effort to curb government expenditures, Zardari swore in an "austerity cabinet" in February 2011 which reduced the cabinet from 60 ministers to 22.[171] Asif Zardari is famously known as "Mr. Ten (10) percent" in the Pakistan's political landscape, as he is alleged to demand 10% as kickbacks for the government contracts.[172][173][174]

Foreign policy

Relationship with India

See also: Indo-Pakistani relations

In early October 2008, he received fierce domestic criticism for repeatedly calling Kashmiri nationalists (see Kashmir conflict) in India "terrorists".[175][176] In mid-November 2008, he suggested Pakistan was ready for a no-first-use nuclear policy and called for closer economic ties.[166][177]

The relationship between the two nations was damaged by the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. He initially denied any links between the perpetrators and Pakistan,[178] but the government soon pursued military action against Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders in a 7 December raid.[179][180] India cleared Zardari's government of any direct involvement in the attacks, but simultaneously demanded the extradition of 20 Pakistanis which it alleged had taken part in them.[181] Zardari offered to send Inter-Services Intelligence Director-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha to assist in the investigation.[181]

In June 2009, Zardari met Singh for the first time since the Mumbai attacks at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia.[182]

On 8 April 2012, President Zardari, along with his son Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, visited Dargah Sharif in Ajmer, India on a private visit. He also met with the Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.[183][184]

 
Vice President-Elect Joe Biden meets Zardari in January 2009

War in Afghanistan

See also: Afghanistan–Pakistan relations

The government has had a longstanding conflict in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistani regions bordering Afghanistan. Diplomatic relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai improved after Musharraf's departure and Zardari's rise to power.[185] The Obama administration's AfPak policy, through AfPak envoy Richard Holbrooke, reflected the unified approach the United States took in dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan.[186]

In his first visit to Afghanistan as president in early January 2009, Zardari promised a renewed relationship to improve cooperation.[187][188] In late March, Obama announced a civilian aid package of $7.5 billion over five years in return for cooperation in the AfPak conflict.[189][190][191] In late April, British prime minister Gordon Brown visited Zardari and promised $1 billion over the next four years.[192] In May, Obama held a trilateral summit in Washington D.C., with Karzai and Zardari, where they discussed further cooperation.[193] At Brussels in mid-June, Zardari unsuccessfully sought trade concessions from the European Union; it instead pledged $90 million development aid to curtail tribal influence by insurgents.[194][195][196] After the U.S. Congress passed Obama's civilian aid package in October,[197][198] army generals in the Pakistani military establishment widened the growing rift with Zardari's government and openly criticised U.S. interference.[199][200]

 
Hamid Karzai, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Zardari after the Afghanistan-U.S.-Pakistan trilateral meeting in May 2009

In February 2009, FATA's provincial government officially declared Islamic law in Swat to achieve a ceasefire with the northwestern Pashtun tribes.[201] Because the United States and Britain opposed the measure,[202][203] Zardari did not sign the Swat ceasefire until mid-April, when domestic pressure from Parliament mounted.[201] By the end of April, the agreement collapsed as the Pakistani military pursued an unpopular offensive in the neighbouring Dir district.[204][205]

In September 2010, Zardari and Karzai met in Islamabad and both advocated fighting insurgents rather than trying to end the war with diplomacy.[206] Zardari went to the United States in January 2011 to attend Special Envoy Holbrooke's funeral.[207] Following Osama bin Laden's death in a compound in Abbottabad in May 2011, Obama called Zardari and collaborated on the events.[208]

Reinstatement of the judiciary

 
Zardari meets Hillary Clinton in May 2009

In February 2009, Zardari and the Musharraf-appointed Supreme Court attempted to disqualify Nawaz Sharif from running in any elections[209] and tried to force his brother Shahbaz Sharif to resign as Chief Minister of Punjab province.[210][211][212] Zardari dismissed the Punjab provincial government[213] and only partially reinstated the judiciary by restoring 56 other judges deposed by Musharraf—but not their former leader, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.[214][215] After Nawaz Sharif defied house arrest and rallied with thousands of his supporters,[216] the Sharif brothers vowed to join forces with the Lawyers' Movement in the "Long March".[217][218] Zardari's government gave in to popular pressure[217] and Prime Minister Gilani in an early morning speech on 16 March 2009 promised to reinstate Chaudhry by 21 March.[219][220] Ten judges were reinstated on 16 March, and Chaudry assumed his position on 22 March.[221][222] Zardari's month-long direct control of the Punjab ended on 30 March.[189][222][223]

Nizam-e-Adl Regulation

Further information: Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009

In April 2009, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation into law. The regulation formally established Sharia law in the Malakand division.[224]

Reduction of presidential powers

See also: Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan

In late November 2009, Zardari ceded to Prime Minister Gillani the chairmanship of the National Command Authority, Pakistan's nuclear arsenal oversight agency.[225][226]

In December 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that the National Reconciliation Ordinance amnesty was unconstitutional, which cleared the way for the revival of corruption cases against Zardari.[227] Although Zardari had immunity from prosecution because he was president,[86] the end of NRO and his earlier corruption cases challenged the legality of his presidency.[228] Calls for his resignation escalated.[229][230] Zardari, who rarely left the Aiwan-e-Sadr presidential palace,[231] responded with a nationwide spurt of speeches in January 2011.[232] In January 2010, the Supreme Court ordered Pakistan's government to reopen Zardari's corruption charges in Switzerland.[233][234] However, Zardari prevented the MQM-leaning Attorney General, Anwar Mansoor, from filing charges,[235] so Mansoor resigned in protest in early April.[236] That same month, Zardari won a key victory against the judiciary over his corruption trials when Geneva Attorney General Daniel Zappelli stated that Zardari can not be prosecuted under international laws because of his presidential immunity.[237][238] Zardari was supported by Prime Minister Gilani, who defied the Supreme Court order.[239]

In February 2010, Zardari sparked a standoff by attempting to appoint a Supreme Court candidate without the court's approval,[240] but the confrontation ended after he backed down and nominated a candidate acceptable by the court.[241]

In April 2010, after months of political pressure, the government passed the 18th Amendment, which reduced the President to a ceremonial figurehead by stripping the office of the power to dissolve Parliament, to dismiss the Prime Minister, and to appoint military chiefs.[242][243][244] The amendment also lifted the restriction of two terms as prime minister, which enabled Zardari's foremost political rival, Nawaz Sharif, to seek a third term.[242][243][245] The amendment was passed with virtually unanimous support in Parliament[244] and Zardari himself espoused the legislation because of political pressure.[243][245] After the 18th Amendment, Zardari's main power derived from his position as leader of the PPP, which controls the largest bloc in Parliament.[242][243]

In late September 2010, the Supreme Court considered removing presidential immunity.[246] In October, Chief Justice Chaudry met with his colleagues to discuss troubling media rumours that Zardari's government was planning to fire them; Chaudry requested government assurance that the stories were unfounded.[247] In early January 2011, Zardari signed the 19th Amendment, which lessened the likelihood of future clashes between the President and the judiciary by strengthening the power of the Chief Justice in deciding judicial appointments.[248][249]

In March 2011, Zardari delivered his annual parliamentary address to a half-empty chamber because of an opposition walkout.[250]

In November 2012, the Pakistan government in response to the court orders, finally wrote to the Swiss authorities seeking to reopen the corruption cases against Zardari.[251] The Swiss government responded by saying that the corruption cases being time-barred cannot be reopened.[252]

2010 Pakistan floods and Europe tour

The 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July with rain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and soon submerged a fifth of Pakistan and affected 20 million people, resulting in one of the nation's largest natural catastrophes. Simultaneously, British prime minister David Cameron sparked a serious diplomatic row with Pakistan during his visit to India[253] by stating that elements within Pakistan were promoting the "export of terror" a week before a planned visit by Zardari to Britain.[254][255][256] Zardari ignored domestic pressure[257][258] and began his European trip in Paris on 1 August, meeting French President Sarkozy.[255][259][260] In France, he drew a rebuke from the U.S. after stating that NATO had "lost the battle for hearts and minds" in the Afghan war.[261][262][263] As the flood's devastation became increasingly evident, he was widely criticised for flying in a helicopter to his Normandy chateau[264][265][266] and dining at Cameron's Chequers countryside home.[267][268][269] Protests within Britain, mainly among the British Pakistani community, grew against his visit.[270][271] The widely expected maiden speech by his son Bilawal was cancelled,[272] as Zardari faced criticism for using the trip to advance Bilawal's political aspirations.[273]

Zardari returned to Pakistan on 10 August.[274] He first visit to an area affected by the flooding was in Sukkur on 12 August.[274] He cancelled the 14 August Independence Day celebrations and instead visited Naushera.[275] He flew over devastated areas with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 15 August.[276] He left the country on 18 August and attended the four-way Russian summit at Sochi, which included Tajikistan and Afghanistan.[277] On 19 August, he visited Jampur with U.S. Senator John Kerry.[278][279] He ordered local authorities to concentrate efforts to save Shahdadkot from inundation on 24 August.[280]

2011 Dubai hospitalisation

In early December 2011 Zardari flew to Dubai undergoing medical tests and treatment, reportedly for a "small stroke".[281] According to the prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Zardari sought medical treatment outside of Pakistan because of "threats to his life".[282] He finds himself currently in the midst of the "Memogate" controversy.[282] Zardari left the hospital on 14 December to recuperate at the Persian Gulf, while his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, assumed a more prominent role in Pakistan.[283] By 19 December, Zardari had returned to Pakistan.[284]

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

Pakistan and China on 22 May 2013 signed several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) that mainly included the long-term China–Pakistan Economic Corridor plan, maritime cooperation and satellite navigation. President Zardari and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang witnessed the signing ceremony as the representatives of the two countries inked the documents at a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. The visit of Premier Keqiang marked the signing of important documents aimed at long-term cooperation between the two countries in multiple areas.[285]

Completion of first presidential tenure

Zardari completed his five-year term on 8 September 2013,[286][287] becoming the first democratically elected president in the 66-year-long history of Pakistan to complete his tenure. He received a guard of honour while leaving the Aiwan-e-Sadr.[288] He was succeeded by Mamnoon Hussain as president.[289]

Between first and second term

He became active in the PPP, which he voted to revamp, after his presidency.[290] He succeeded Ameen Faheem as chairman of PPPP in 2015.[291] In December 2016, he announced that both he and his son Bilawal, would contest the 2018 general election.[292]

In July 2017, during the investigation of the Panama Papers case, Zardari demanded Nawaz Sharif's resignation.[293] In August 2017, Pakistan's anti-corruption court acquitted him from his last pending case in which he was accused along with his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, of laundering illegal kickbacks and maintaining assets beyond known sources of income. The case had dogged him for 19 years.[294][295] His rival Imran Khan believed that Zardari's acquittal was the result of a deal between the PML-N and PPP. However he denied any kind of collaboration.[296] The National Accountability Bureau also challenged the acquittal.[297] On 2 September, after his wife's murder case verdict, which declared Pervez Musharraf a fugitive and convicted two senior police officers, he said that he was not satisfied with the verdict and that he would appeal the judgment as it had acquitted five Pakistani Taliban suspects.[298] In 2019, he was arrested in Islamabad over a money laundering case.[299] An anti-graft court issued an indictment of Zardari on corruption charges on 10 August 2020.[300][301]

Second term as President (2024–present)

On 3 March 2024, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan confirmed that the Pakistani Parliament would meet on 9 March 2024 to elect a new President of Pakistan,[302] which Zardari won with 411 votes from the national and provincial assemblies against Mahmood Khan Achakzai.[303] He was elected as President on 9 March 2024 by securing 411 electoral votes and his opponent Mahmood Khan Achakzai secured 181 electoral votes.[304] He sworn in as 14th President on 10 March 2024.[305] He is first civilian to be elected as President for second non consecutive term.

Opposition reaction

Omar Ayub Khan, the opposition leader in the National Assembly of Pakistan, called Zardari ‘illegal’.[306] PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan described his election "unconstitutional and unacceptable."[307]

Personal life

Family

Zardari and Benazir Bhutto had one son and two daughters. His son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is the current Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party. His older daughter, Bakhtawar, was born on 25 January 1990,[308] and his younger daughter, Aseefa, was born on 3 February 1993.[309] After Benazir Bhutto's death, his sister Faryal Talpur became the guardian of his children[18] and he changed Bilawal Zardari's name to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.[310][311]

His mother died in November 2002, during his detention in jail.[312] His father Hakim Ali Zardari died in May 2011.[313] After that he became the chieftain of the Zardari tribe. However, initially he had decided not to assume leadership and wanted to pass the position to his son Bilawal.[314][313]

Spirituality

Zardari is known to seek the advice of "soothsayers and healers", especially during times of political troubles. He has visited Prof. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar, a well-known Sufi scholar based in Gujar Khan who often counsels government officials and military leaders. During his presidency, he would consult with his then spiritual leader, Pir Mohammad Ejaz, about such matters as travel times and animals were sacrificed during particularly trying periods.[315][316]

Health

His mental health has been a subject of controversy.[87][88] He has repeatedly claimed he was tortured while in prison.[317] He was diagnosed with dementia, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder from 2005 to 2007, which helped influence the verdict of one of his corruption trials.[87][88][89] He now claims he is completely healthy, with only high blood pressure and diabetes.[87][88]

Wealth

In 2005, Daily Pakistan reported he was the second richest man in Pakistan with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion.[318] He amassed great wealth while his wife was prime minister.[41] In 2007, he received $60 million in his Swiss bank account through offshore companies under his name.[86] He was reported to have estates in Surrey, West End of London, Manhattan (a condominium in Belaire Apartments), and Dubai,[26][41] as well as a 16th-century chateau in Normandy.[265] In Britain, he used a common legal device—the purchase of property through nominees with no family link to the Bhuttos.[41] His homes in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad are called Bilawal House I,[319] Bilawal House II,[320] and Zardari House[321] respectively.

Surrey estate

He bought a 365-acre (148-hectare) 20-bedroom luxury estate in Rockwood, Surrey in 1995 through a chain of firms, trusts, and offshore companies in 1994.[18][61][66][322][323] The country home's refurbishment abruptly ended in October 1996, shortly before the end of his wife's second term.[323] He initially denied for eight years that he owned the property and no one paid the bills for the work on the unoccupied mansion.[66][322] Creditors forced a liquidation sale in 2004 and the Pakistani government claimed the proceeds because the home had been bought with money obtained through corruption.[66] However, he stepped in to claim that he actually was the beneficial owner.[26] As of November 2008, the proceeds were in a liquidator bank account while a civil case continues.[66]

The estate includes two farms, lodgings, staff accommodation, and a basement made into an imitation of a local pub.[18][322] The manor has nine bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool.[323]

He had sent large shipments from Karachi in the 1990s for the refurbishment of Surrey Palace.[66] He has faced allegations from various people, including the daughter of Laila Shahzada,[324] that he acquired stolen art to decorate the palace.[323] He earlier had plans for a helipad, a nine-hole golf course, and a polo pony paddock.[66]

Bibliography

Books about Asif Ali Zardari include:[325]

Urdu

  • Akram Shaikh, Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī Kā Muqaddamah, Masāvāt Publications: 1998, 240 p.
  • Collective, Qalam Kī Shahādat Āsif ʻAlī Zardārī Ke Bāre Men̲ Ahl-i Qalam Kī Taḥrīren̲, Fiction House: 2004, 208 p.
  • Sayyid Sartāj Ḥusain, Asīr-i Zindān Aur Pākistān, Jumhoori Publications: 2007, 202 p.
  • Murtaz̤á Anjum, Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī: Jumhūrīyat Aur Mafāhamatī Siyāsat Ke ʻAlambardār, You Publishers: 2008, 208 p.
  • Aḥmad Dāʼūd, Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī: Mudabir Aur Zerak Siyāsatdān, Nai Roshni Publications: 2009, 380 p.
  • Aṣg̲h̲ar ʻAlī Joʼiyah, Jel Se Aivān-i Sadr Tak, Jidd O Jahd Kā Safar Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī Ke Kh̲ayālāt, Inkishāfāt, Iḥsāsāt, Dosti Publications: 2010, 187 p.
  • Jāved Aḥmad Shāh, Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī Shak̲h̲ṣiyat Va Siyāsat, Book Home: 2015, 176 p.

Sindhi

  • Sattāru Rindu, Āṣif ʻAlī Zardārī: Qaidu Khān Qiyādata Tāʼīn, The Creators: 2008, 202 p.
  • Mohan Laʻalu Mālhī, Āṣifu ʻAlī Zardārī, Pīpalz Pārṭī Ain Pākistān, Asha Publisher: 2010, 151 p.

English

  • Shahid Hussain Vistro, Asif: Bhutto's Descendant & Desire, 2008, 88 p.
  • Sagar Samejo, Pakistan Khappay: Asif, An Other Hope, Al-Hamd Publications: 2009, 380 p.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Urdu: آصف علی زرداری; Sindhi: آصف علي زرداري‎
  2. ^ The Electoral College is composed of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies. The parliamentary lower house National Assembly has 342 seats. The upper house Senate has 100 seats. The four provincial assemblies are Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan respectively. 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. A person needs to win 352 votes to obtain a majority.
  3. ^ The President serves for five years.
  4. ^ In Pakistan, a government falls not by losing a majority but after a no-confidence vote.

References

  1. ^ "Zardari elected PPPP president". Dunya News. 27 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari Fast Facts". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Zardari returns to Office of President for second time". 9 March 2024. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Profile: Pakistan: leaders". BBC News. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Bhutto's husband leaves prison". The New York Times. 7 February 1993. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Death anniversary: 16 years since Murtaza Bhutto was killed – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Bhuttos: 'Cursed' political dynasty". 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Pakistan ex-premier's spouse indicted for murder". The New York Times. 6 July 1997.
  9. ^ Burns, John F (5 November 1996). "Pakistan's Premier Bhutto is put under house arrest". The New York Times
  10. ^ Tanoli, Ishaq (10 April 2008). "SHC acquits Zardari in Murtaza murder case". Dawn. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Zardari has abysmally low approval rating". The Times of India. 28 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  12. ^ Nayani, Aziz (9 May 2013). "Democracy's Surprisingly Low Approval Rating in Pakistan". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  13. ^ Malik, Humaima (29 July 2013). "Asif Zardari Returns Home Ahead of Presidential Polls". Pakistan Tribune. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016.
  14. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari: the godfather as president". The Guardian. 7 September 2008. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Pakistan's president steps down after completing historic full term". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  16. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (3 March 2024). "Shehbaz Sharif sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  17. ^ Riches, Christopher; Palmowski, Jan (18 February 2021). "Zardari, Asif Ali". A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780191890949.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-189094-9.
  18. ^ a b c d Wilkinson, Isambard (4 September 2008). "Profile: Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's probable next president, is living the dream". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  19. ^ "Profile: Asif Ali Zardari". BBC News. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  20. ^ "Corrections". The New York Times. 10 January 1998. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  21. ^ "President grieved: Hakim Ali Zardari passes away". The Express Tribune. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  22. ^ Pakistan Journal of History and Culture. National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research. 1996. p. 82. The second son Hakim Ali Zardari, left his place of birth, Phatohal Zardari, and settled in the village Mir Khan Zardari village where he started cultivating ancestral lands. He married Bilqees Khanum, daughter of Hasan Ali Memon and grand daughter of the famous scholar Hasan Ali Effendi.
  23. ^ Selections from Regional Press. Institute of Regional Studies. 2008. p. 48. On his maternal side, he is the great-grandson of Khan Bahadur Hassan Ali Effendi, the founder of first educational institution for the Muslims of Sindh. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was among the prominent students to graduate from the Sindh Madrassa.
  24. ^ Current Biography Yearbook. H.W. Wilson. 2009. p. 623. On his maternal side, Zardari is the great-grandson of Khan Bahadur Hassan Ali Effendi ["Afandi" in some sources), the founder of Sindh Madrasatul Islam, the first educational institution for Muslims in Sindh.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wonacott, Peter (5 September 2008). "Zardari set to assume Pakistan's presidency". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  26. ^ a b c Borger, Julian (31 December 2007). "Asif Ali Zardari: 'His elevation will turn off floating voters. It will hurt the party'". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  27. ^ a b c d e Perlez, Jane (11 March 2008). "From prison to zenith of politics in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  28. ^ Iqbal, Aftab (December 2013). "Khabarnaak GC Special". Khabarnaak. GEO TV.
  29. ^ "President Asif Ali Zardari". gov.pk. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  30. ^ a b c Ellick, Adam B. (16 July 2010). "Pakistani legislators face accusations of faking their degrees". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d "Pakistan opposition leader's wedding spurs frenzied protest". The Durant Daily Democrat. Durant, Oklahoma. 20 December 1987. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  32. ^ a b c d e Weisman, Steven R (19 December 1987). "The Bride Wore White; 100,000 Sang Slogans". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  33. ^ Zia of Pakistan Killed as Blast Downs Plane; U.S. Envoy, 28 Others Die Archived 27 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times
  34. ^ Pakistan: Elections held in 1988 Archived 13 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Inter-Parliamentary Union
  35. ^ a b "Government arrests husband of Bhutto". The Spokane Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. 10 October 1990. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  36. ^ Crossette, Barbara (8 August 1990). "Bhutto Blames Army for Her Ouster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  37. ^ a b Rudolph, Barbara; Anita Pratap (27 August 1990). "Pakistan: The hunt is on". Time. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  38. ^ a b "Police arrest Bhutto's husband". The Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. 10 October 1990. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  39. ^ a b "Bhutto legislators stage walkout". The Daily Sentinel. Middleport, Ohio. 4 November 1990. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  40. ^ "Bhutto's husband cleared in bank fraud". Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. 1 March 1994. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Burns, John F (5 November 1996). "Pakistan's Premier Bhutto is put under house arrest". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  42. ^ Choi Kee, Choy (4 May 2010). "History snippets: 1981 Onwards (A Maturing SAF): 1991 – SQ 117 Rescue". Singaporean Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012.
  43. ^ a b "Husband of Benazir Bhutto, out of jail, joins the cabinet". The New York Times. 23 April 1993. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  44. ^ "Pakistani President dismisses Bhutto". Kentucky New Era. Hopskinsville, Kentucky. 1 November 1996. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  45. ^ "Benazir sends Zardari on mercy mission to Iraq". The Indian Express. Ahmadabad, India. 10 February 1994. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  46. ^ "Zardari refutes charges of being de-facto Prime Minister". The Indian Express. Ahmadabad, India. 27 April 1994. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  47. ^ Purdum, Todd S (27 March 1995). "A Clinton and a Bhutto share a joke in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  48. ^ "Bhutto moves swiftly to ensure green future". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. 23 March 1995. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  49. ^ Robinson, Simon (29 December 2007). "Bhutto's successor". Time. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  50. ^ a b Kamm, Henry (14 January 1994). "Bhutto fans the family feud, charging mother favors son". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  51. ^ a b "Bhutto's brother dies in shooting". Beaver County Times. Beaver, Pennsylvania. 22 September 1996. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  52. ^ a b Burns, John F (6 November 1996). "With goats and gunfire, Pakistanis cheer Bhutto's fall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  53. ^ "Zardari charged in Murtaza killing". The Nation. Bangkok, Thailand. 20 December 1996. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  54. ^ a b c d e f g Burns, John F. (9 January 1998). "House of graft: tracing the Bhutto millions". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2001.
  55. ^ a b Zagorin, Adam; S. C. Gwynne (14 December 1998). "Just hide me the money". Time. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  56. ^ "Minority staff report for permanent subcommittee on investigations hearing on private banking and money laundering: a case study of opportunities and vulnerabilities". senate.gov. 9 November 1999. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  57. ^ a b Kershner, Isabel & Mark Landler (30 December 1997). "World news briefs: Bhutto's jailed husband sworn in as Senator". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  58. ^ "The decline and fall of Benazir Bhutto". The Economist. 22 April 1999. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  59. ^ a b "Bhutto 'corruption' documents reach Pakistan". BBC News. 23 July 1998. Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  60. ^ "Pakistan ex-premier's spouse indicted for murder". The New York Times. 6 July 1997. Archived from the original on 1 February 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  61. ^ a b c d e f Dugger, Celia W (16 April 1999). "Pakistan Sentences Bhutto To 5 Years for Corruption". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  62. ^ a b c Rashid, Ahmed (16 April 1999). "Bhutto vows she will fight jail sentence for corruption". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  63. ^ "Benazir, Zardari sentenced in Switzerland". The Daily Star. Oneonta, New York. 6 August 2003. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  64. ^ a b "Pakistan police accused of attempted murder". BBC News. 18 May 1999. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  65. ^ a b Langley, Alison (6 August 2003). "Pakistan: Bhutto sentenced in Switzerland". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  66. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Pallister, David (12 November 2007). "Trail of corruption and kickback charges still in wings for opposition leader". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  67. ^ Flintoff, Correy (27 December 2007). "Play connects Pakistan's past and present". NPR. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  68. ^ a b c d e "International news briefings". The New York Times. 23 December 2004. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  69. ^ a b c d Zehra, Nasim (24 December 2004). "Zardari's arrest and release: Eye-opener for 'disbelievers'". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  70. ^ a b c "Pakistan police re-arrest Zardari". BBC News. 21 December 2004. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  71. ^ a b c "Bhutto party supporters released". BBC News. 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  72. ^ a b c Masood, Salmaan (18 April 2005). "Politicians detained in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  73. ^ a b c "Pakistan detains opposition figure". Fox News Channel. News Corporation. 16 April 2005. Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  74. ^ a b "Bhutto's husband has a heart attack". Independent Online. Independent News & Media. 5 June 2005. Archived from the original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  75. ^ a b c d e "Bhutto husband re-arrest ordered". BBC News. 11 September 2005. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  76. ^ Masood, Azhar (26 January 2006). "Interpol issues arrest notices for Benazir and husband". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  77. ^ "Interpol issues arrest notice for Benazir Bhutto on corruption charges". Forbes. AFX News. 26 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  78. ^ Gall, Carlotta (15 September 2007). "Bhutto announces date of return to Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  79. ^ "Terrorists blamed for Karachi attacks". Gulf Daily News. Manama, Bahrain. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  80. ^ "Pakistan's Bhutto targeted on return home". Reuters. 19 October 2007. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  81. ^ "Bhutto vows to press on with campaign". The New York Times. 21 October 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  82. ^ "Factbox-Who stands to win or lose in Pakistani vote". Reuters. 17 February 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  83. ^ a b c d e "Pakistan declares state of emergency". The Gazette. Montreal: Canada.com. Postmedia News. 3 November 2007. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  84. ^ a b c d Baker, Aryn (5 November 2007). "Bhutto to Musharraf: We can still deal". Time. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  85. ^ a b "Bhutto flying back to Pakistan from Dubai: Husband". Reuters. 3 November 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  86. ^ a b c Perlez, Jane; Masood, Salman (29 May 2011). "Pakistan court focuses on President Zardari's offshore riches". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  87. ^ a b c d Peel, Michael; Bokhari, Farhan (25 August 2008). "Doubts cast on Zardari's mental health". Financial Times. Pearson PLC. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  88. ^ a b c d Waraich, Omar (26 August 2008). "Is Pakistan's Zardari mentally fit?". Time. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  89. ^ a b Perlez, Jane (26 August 2008). "Front-runner in Pakistan has Been ill, report says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  90. ^ "Nation on a knife-edge". Evening Times. Glasgow, Scotland: Newsquest. 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  91. ^ a b c d e f g "Bhutto's son, husband to lead party". CBS News. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  92. ^ a b c d Hall, Camilla (8 January 2008). "Bhutto's son says Pakistan may fragment without vote (Update2)". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  93. ^ Wilkinson, Isambard (28 December 2011). "Thousands gather for Benazir Bhutto's funeral". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  94. ^ a b c Walsh, Declan (1 January 2008). "Zardari rejects claim of al-Qaida link to Bhutto's murder". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  95. ^ "Bhutto's son meets the press". The New York Times. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  96. ^ "Bhutto's son seeks media privacy". BBC News. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  97. ^ "Musharraf: Exhume Bhutto's body". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Corporation. 13 January 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  98. ^ a b Sengupta, Somini (31 December 2007). "Opposition parties vow to proceed with Jan. 8 election". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  99. ^ a b "What's the deal with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?". NPR. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  100. ^ a b Mangi, Naween A. (28 January 2008). "Zardari says Bhutto's party may work with Musharraf (Update1)". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  101. ^ a b Gall, Carlotta; Jane Perlez (17 February 2008). "Pakistan's hopes for election tempered by concerns about fairness of vote". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  102. ^ Baker, Aryn (5 February 2008). "Pakistan braces for election trouble". Time. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  103. ^ a b c Masood, Azhar (23 February 2008). "Fahim emerging as next Pak PM". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  104. ^ a b c d Bowley, Graham (21 February 2008). "2 Pakistani opposition parties vow to form coalition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  105. ^ Perlez, Jane (10 March 2008). "Pakistan rivals join to fight Musharraf". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  106. ^ "Pakistan coalition promises benefits". BBC News. 23 February 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  107. ^ a b "Pakistan victors mull coalition". BBC News. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  108. ^ "Bhutto's widower alleges post-poll rigging in Pakistan". Singapore: Channel NewsAsia. MediaCorp. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  109. ^ a b Perlez, Jane (23 March 2008). "Pakistani party's leader chooses a Prime Minister". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  110. ^ a b c d Haider, Kamran (12 May 2008). "Sharif's Party pulls out of Pakistan government". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 May 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  111. ^ a b c d e f Qayum, Khalid; Rupert, James (20 January 2008). "Sharif says Zardari risks losing support over judges (Update 1)". Bloomberg. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  112. ^ a b Constable, Pamela (13 May 2008). "Pakistani party quits cabinet over justices". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  113. ^ a b c "Move to slash Musharraf's powers". BBC News. 24 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  114. ^ a b c Rupert, James (24 May 2008). "Pakistan Peoples Party moves to reduce Musharraf's powers". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  115. ^ Haider, Kamran (13 March 2008). "Pakistan's coalition rocked as Sharif pulls out". The Scotsman. Edinburgh: Johnston Press. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  116. ^ a b Anthony, Augustine (20 June 2008). "Musharraf to be replaced soon: Bhutto's widower". Reuters Canada. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  117. ^ a b "Pakistan: Supporters protest decision to bar Sharif from election". USA Today. 24 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  118. ^ a b "Sharif barred from election". Gulf Daily News. Manama, Bahrain. 24 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  119. ^ Perlez, Jane (20 March 2008). "Pakistan court bars Sharif from election". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  120. ^ a b Waraich, Omar (7 August 2008). "Musharraf in the crosshairs". Time. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  121. ^ a b Masood, Azhar (7 August 2008). "Coalition to impeach Musharraf". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  122. ^ "Zardari warns Musharraf against government dismissal". Reuters. 7 August 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  123. ^ a b c "'No deal yet' in Musharraf talks". BBC News. 19 August 2008. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  124. ^ a b c "Pakistan: Exit the President". The Economist. Economist Group. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  125. ^ a b Khaleeq, Ahmed (19 August 2008). "Musharraf's ouster tests coalition as focus shifts (Update 2)". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  126. ^ a b c Haider, Kamran (19 August 2008). "Cracks in Pakistan coalition day after Musharraf quits". Reuters India. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  127. ^ a b c d "Pakistan bombing underscores risks to Zardari presidency". The New York Times. 7 September 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  128. ^ "Pakistan's Zardari urged to change image and focus". Reuters. 7 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  129. ^ "Husband of slain Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, becomes new president of Pakistan at crucial time". Daily News. New York City. Associated Press. 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  130. ^ Graham, Stephen (7 September 2008). "Zardari marked by legal woes, tragedy". Boston Globe. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  131. ^ "Zardari nominated to be president". BBC News. 22 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  132. ^ Qayum, Khalid (20 August 2008). "Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers want Zardari to be President". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  133. ^ a b "Bhutto widower Zardari elected Pakistan's new president". CNN. Time Warner. 6 September 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  134. ^ "Bhutto's widower wins presidency". BBC News. 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  135. ^ "Pakistan: Political structure". The Economist. Economist Group. 21 October 2008. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  136. ^ Orr, James (9 September 2008). "Civilian rule returns to Pakistan as Asif Ali Zardari becomes President". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  137. ^ James Traub (31 March 2009). "Can Pakistan Be Governed? And Is Asif Ali Zardari the Man to Do the Job?". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  138. ^ "Zardari and Karzai show solidarity". Newsweek. 9 September 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  139. ^ Perlez, Jane (9 September 2008). "Widower of Bhutto takes office in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  140. ^ Perlez, Jane (4 September 2008). "Bhutto widower with clouded past is set to lead". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  141. ^ "Pakistan and America: How to beat the terrorists?". The Economist. Economist Group. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  142. ^ Hussain, Shaiq; Constable, Pamela (21 September 2008). "Blast kills dozens in Pakistan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  143. ^ Pir Zubair Shah; Wafa, Abdul Waheed (22 September 2008). "Pakistani leaders narrowly escaped hotel blast, official Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  144. ^ Masood, Azhar (10 September 2008). "Zardari sworn in as Pakistan President". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  145. ^ "Bush, Zardari discuss U.S. incursions in Pakistan". USA Today. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  146. ^ Gienger, Viola (26 September 2008). "Zardari wins support of global coalition on terrorism, economy". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  147. ^ Eckert, Paul (26 September 2008). "Rice sees promising Pakistan-Afghanistan rapport". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  148. ^ Zernike, Kate (24 September 2008). "Palin has meetings for a second day with foreign leaders". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  149. ^ Waraich, Omar (26 September 2008). "How Sarah Palin rallied Pakistan's feminists". Time. Archived from the original on 27 September 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  150. ^ "Flirting with Palin earns Pakistani President a fatwa". The Christian Science Monitor. 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  151. ^ Saltonstall, David (2 October 2008). "Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari". New York Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  152. ^ Brummitt, Chris (27 September 2008). "Pakistan warns U.S. to stay off its turf". San Francisco Gate. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  153. ^ Ignatius, David (4 November 2008). "A quiet deal with Pakistan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  154. ^ "The war in Pakistan: Predator and prey". The Economist. Economist Group. 6 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  155. ^ Eckert, Paul (24 September 2008). "India, Pakistan leaders agree to resume talks". Reuters India. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  156. ^ a b Perlez, Jane (18 October 2008). "Rebuffed by China, Pakistan May Seek I.M.F. Aid". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  157. ^ Yang, Xiao (16 October 2008). "Zardari's visit cements all-weather partnership". China Daily. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  158. ^ a b Buckley, Chris (15 October 2008). "Pakistan's Zardari looks to China for support". Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  159. ^ Waraich, Omar (25 October 2008). "Time and money running out for Pakistan". Time. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  160. ^ Mufti, Shahan (23 October 2008). "Cash-strapped Pakistan finds few friends in time of economic need". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  161. ^ Rasooldeen (5 November 2008). "Zardari seeks Saudi help to tide over crisis". Arab News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  162. ^ Khan, M. Ilyas (5 November 2008). "Zardari in talks with Saudi king". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  163. ^ a b Walsh, Declan (1 December 2010). "Wikileaks cables: Saudi Arabia wants military rule in Pakistan". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  164. ^ Bokhari, Farhan (5 December 2010). "Wikileaks reveals tensions between Pakistan, Saudis". CBS News. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  165. ^ a b Tharoor, Ishaan (6 December 2010). "WikiLeaks Reveals Saudi Arabia's role in Pakistani affairs". Time. Archived from the original on 8 December 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  166. ^ a b Parija, Pratik (22 November 2008). "President Zardari says Pakistan won't use nuclear weapons first". Bloomberg. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  167. ^ Linda Seig; Hugh Lawson (16 April 2009). "Pakistan's Zardari urges support to stabilise country". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  168. ^ a b c Raghuvanshi, Gaurav (5 January 2011). "Prolonged turmoil could create Pakistan banking crisis". The Wall Street Journal. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  169. ^ a b Wright, Tom (14 June 2011). "Defection hobbles Pakistan leader". The Wall Street Journal. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  170. ^ Shah, Saeed (2 January 2011). "Pakistani government in turmoil after coalition party quits over fuel and taxes". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  171. ^ Masood, Salman (11 February 2011). "Pakistan: Austerity cabinet begins". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  172. ^ "'Mr. 10%' becomes Mr. President". France 24. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  173. ^ "Meet Mr. 10 Percent". Chicago Tribune. 13 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  174. ^ Wonacott, Peter (5 September 2008). "Zardari Set to Assume Pakistan's Presidency". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  175. ^ "Fury over Zardari Kashmir comment". BBC News. 6 October 2008. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  176. ^ Shankhar, Jay (7 October 2008). "Kashmir separatists protest over Zardari's 'terrorist' comment". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  177. ^ Kuncheria, C. J. (22 November 2008). "Pakistan ready for nuclear no first use offer". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  178. ^ Beech, Eric (2 December 2008). "Pakistan not to blame for Mumbai attacks: Zardari". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  179. ^ "Zardari to India: Pause and take a breath". CNN. Time Warner. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  180. ^ Rupert, James (10 December 2008). "Zardari shelves tolerance amid Pakistan's aid needs (Update1)". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  181. ^ a b "Pakistan and the Mumbai attack: The world's headache". The Economist. Economist Group. 4 December 2008. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  182. ^ "Indian and Pakistani leaders meet". BBC News. 16 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  183. ^ "Pakistan Chief Visits India on Low-Profile Trip". Time. Archived from the original on 8 April 2012.
  184. ^ Singh, Harmeet Shah. "Pakistan's president visits India amid warming ties". CNN. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  185. ^ "Good intentions:Zardari and Karzai show solidarity". Newsweek. 9 September 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  186. ^ "Afghanistan and Pakistan: One big problem". The Economist. Economist Group. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  187. ^ Burch, Jonathon (6 January 2009). "Afghans, Pakistan fight militants together-Zardari". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  188. ^ "Karzai sees new era with Pakistan". BBC News. 6 January 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  189. ^ a b Perlez, Jane (29 March 2009). "Pakistan's President praises Obama and offers new concession to the opposition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  190. ^ Jaffry, Nasir (29 March 2009). "Can Pakistan meet strategy demands?". China Post. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  191. ^ Constable, Pamela (29 March 2009). "Karzai in full agreement with Obama plan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  192. ^ Croft, Adrian (27 April 2009). "Brown takes new strategy to Afghanistan, Pakistan". Reuters Canada. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  193. ^ Ward, Jon (7 May 2009). "Obama pledges support to Zardari, Karzai". The Washington Times. Washington D.C. News World Communications. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  194. ^ Brunnstrom, David; Ennis, Darren (17 June 2009). "EU vows Pakistan aid, Zardari seeks trade breaks". Reuters India. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  195. ^ "EU pledges $100m in aid to Pakistan". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Corporation. 17 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  196. ^ "EU gives $100m in aid to Pakistan". BBC News. 17 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  197. ^ "U.S. Congress approves new restrictions on Pakistan aid". The Daily Telegraph. London. 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  198. ^ "Obama signs Pakistan aid bill". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Corporation. 16 October 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  199. ^ Perlez, Jane; Khan, Ismail (7 October 2009). "Aid package from U.S. jolts Army in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  200. ^ Qayum, Khalid (7 October 2009). "Pakistan's Army issues rare criticism of U.S. aid conditions". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  201. ^ a b "World digest: Zardari authorizes Swat Valley law". The Washington Post. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  202. ^ Croft, Adrian (24 April 2009). "Interview: Pakistan diplomat faults U.S. strategy". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  203. ^ Toosi, Nahal (27 April 2009). "Peace in peril, but Pakistan says don't 'panic'". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  204. ^ "Peace in peril, but Pakistan says don't 'panic'". The Guardian. UK. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  205. ^ Haider, Zeeshan (28 April 2009). "Q.A.: Likely fallout if Pakistan takes Fight to Swat's Taliban". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  206. ^ Gall, Carlotta (15 September 2010). "Seeking stability, Pakistani and Afghan meet". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  207. ^ Hussain, Zahid (14 January 2011). "Zardari under renewed criticism for trip overseas". The Wall Street Journal. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  208. ^ "Obama's remarks on killing of Osama bin Laden". The Wall Street Journal. Associated Press. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  209. ^ Qayum, Khalid (25 February 2009). "Pakistani court bars Sharif brothers from elections (Update1)". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  210. ^ Birsel, Robert (1 March 2009). "Zardari's party eyes power in key Pakistan province". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  211. ^ Perlez, Jane (27 February 2009). "Pro-Sharif protests continue in Pakistani cities". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  212. ^ Qayum, Khalid; Ahmed, Khaleeq (27 February 2009). "Pakistan protesters hold rallies nationwide over Sharif ban". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  213. ^ Perlez, Jane (27 February 2009). "Pakistan's political rift may pose test for Obama". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  214. ^ Masood, Azhar (27 February 2009). "Sharif supporters protest court ruling". Arab News. Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Retrieved 9 May 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  215. ^ "Pakistan's politics: Just like the bad old days". The Economist. Economist Group. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  216. ^ "Pakistan ex-PM ignores 'arrest'". BBC News. 15 March 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  217. ^ a b Cameron-Moore, Simon; Norton, Jerry (15 March 2009). "Q.A.: Why is Judge Chaudhry so important in Pakistan?". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  218. ^ "Pakistan PM to address nation as crisis nears climax". Reuters. 15 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  219. ^ Perlez, Jane (15 March 2009). "Pakistan leader backs down and reinstates top judge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  220. ^ "Pakistan: Deposed chief justice to be reinstated". Newsweek. 16 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  221. ^ "New elections chief in Pakistan". BBC News. 18 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  222. ^ a b Tighe, Paul (17 March 2009). "Gilani says government will end its rule in Pakistan's Punjab". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  223. ^ "Terrorism in Pakistan: Attack on the academy". The Economist. Economist Group. 30 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  224. ^ President signs Nizam-e-Adl Regulation: Presidency Archived 19 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. GEO.tv (13 April 2009). Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  225. ^ Schifrin, Nick (28 November 2009). "Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari removed himself from nuclear chain of command, transferring his authority to the Prime Minister". The Walt Disney Company. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  226. ^ "Zardari transfers control of nuclear weapons to Prime Minister". The Guardian. UK. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  227. ^ Haider, Zeeshan (16 December 2009). "Pakistani court throws out amnesty for Zardari, allies". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  228. ^ "Pakistan court hears challenge to corruption amnesty". BBC News. 7 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  229. ^ "Pakistan party demands Zardari resignation". BBC News. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  230. ^ "Opposition calls on Zardari to quit". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Corporation. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  231. ^ Bennett-Jones, Owen (6 August 2010). "Zardari's heavy political baggage". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  232. ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (20 January 2010). "Memo from Islamabad: Zardari stages comeback, but effect on Pakistan is unclear". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  233. ^ Masood, Azhar (20 January 2010). "Court tells government to prosecute Zardari". Arab News. Jeddah: Saudi Research & Publishing Company. Saudi Research & Marketing Group. Retrieved 6 June 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  234. ^ "Reopening of Zardari case ordered". Al Jazeera. Qatar Media Corporation. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  235. ^ "Pakistan attorney general resigns". The Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. 3 April 2010. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  236. ^ Maqbool, Aleem (3 April 2010). "Pakistan's Attorney General resigns". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  237. ^ Crilly, Rob (12 April 2010). "Asif Zardari wins fight against corruption case in Switzerland". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  238. ^ Khan, Zarar. "Swiss say legal immunity protects Pakistani leader". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  239. ^ Haider, Kamran (27 September 2010). "Q.A.: Is Pakistan's government hanging in the balance?". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  240. ^ Brulliard, Karin; Hussain, Shaiq (16 February 2010). "Pakistan's lawyers strike over judicial appointments made by President Zardari". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  241. ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (18 February 2010). "Pakistani backs down in conflict with judge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  242. ^ a b c "Pakistan's President Zardari closer to losing powers". The Christian Science Monitor. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  243. ^ a b c d Mohsin, Saima (1 April 2010). "Pakistan President Asif Zardari gives up constitutional powers". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  244. ^ a b Haider, Kamran (8 April 2010). "Pakistani MPs do away with Zardari's crucial powers". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  245. ^ a b Rodriguez, Alex (2 April 2010). "Pakistan moves to roll back presidential powers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  246. ^ Hussain, Zahid (26 September 2010). "Pakistan court considers Zardari immunity". The Wall Street Journal. News Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  247. ^ Rodriguez, Alex (16 October 2010). "Conflict brews between Pakistani President, Supreme Court". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  248. ^ "Pakistan's populist judges: Courting trouble". The Economist. Economist Group. 10 February 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  249. ^ Rahman, Shamim (1 January 2011). "Assent given to 19th Amendment: Move to ignite clash between institutions foiled: Zardari". Dawn. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  250. ^ Gall, Carlotta; Masood, Salman (22 March 2011). "Pakistan's President vows again to fight extremism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  251. ^ "Zardari graft case: Swiss authorities yet to respond to Pak government's letter". Jagran Post. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  252. ^ "Switzerland refuses to reopen graft cases against President Zardari". The News International. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  253. ^ "Miliband condemns Pakistan comments". The Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. 31 July 2010. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  254. ^ Dodd, Vikram (28 July 2010). "Cameron sparks diplomatic row with Pakistan after 'export of terror' remarks". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  255. ^ a b Jamieson, Alastair (1 August 2010). "Pakistan PM hits back at David Cameron terror claim". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  256. ^ "Pakistan plays down David Cameron's terror comments". BBC News. 31 July 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  257. ^ "Pakistan President heading to UK for talks despite criticism". CNN. Time Warner. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2011.[dead link‍]
  258. ^ Croft, Adrian (2 August 2010). "Pakistan summons UK envoy over Cameron's comments". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  259. ^ Allbritton, Chris (1 August 2010). "Pakistan President to visit Britain amid terror row". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  260. ^ Guernigou, Yann Le (2 August 2010). "Sarkozy urges Pakistan leader to ramp up terror fight". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  261. ^ Burns, John F. (3 August 2010). "Afghan War is being lost, Pakistani President says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  262. ^ "Pakistan's Zardari says war with Taliban being lost". Reuters Canada. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  263. ^ "War against Taliban 'being lost' says Zardari". BBC News. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  264. ^ Rodriguez, Alex (16 August 2010). "Zardari chateau: Pakistani leader attempts damage control after European trip during disaster". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  265. ^ a b Shah, Saeed (8 August 2010). "Pakistan floods: Army steps into breach as anger grows at Zardari". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  266. ^ "Blighted Pakistan: Swamped, bruised and resentful". The Economist. Economist Group. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  267. ^ Witte, Griff (6 August 2010). "Zardari's trip to Europe fuels resentment as Pakistan reels from deadly floods". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  268. ^ "Cameron hails UK's 'unbreakable' bond with Pakistan". BBC News. 6 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  269. ^ Burns, John F. (6 August 2010). "Leaders of Britain and Pakistan smooth over frictions". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  270. ^ "Protests greet Pakistan President". The Belfast Telegraph. 7 August 2010. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  271. ^ "Pakistan President Zardari arrives in London, sparring with Cameron continues". The Christian Science Monitor. 4 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  272. ^ MacDonald, Myra (5 August 2010). "Pakistan's Bhutto cancels plans to attend UK rally". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  273. ^ Freeman, Colin (7 August 2010). "Pakistan's President Zardari is pelted with shoes at Birmingham rally". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  274. ^ a b Tran, Mark (12 August 2010). "Pakistan President visits flooded regions as official response criticised". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  275. ^ "Cholera in Pakistan as Prime Minister says 20 million affected by floods". The Daily Telegraph. London. 14 August 2010. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  276. ^ "U.N. chief urges donations to Pakistan". The New York Times. Associated Press. 15 August 2010. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  277. ^ Dyomkin, Denis (18 August 2010). "Karzai says Afghanistan needs Russia's support". Reuters Canada. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  278. ^ "Zardari: Terrorists could exploit Pakistan flood". CBS News. 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  279. ^ Gall, Carlotta (5 September 2010). "Floods in Pakistan carry the seeds of upheaval". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  280. ^ Gall, Carlotta (23 August 2010). "Floods in Pakistan pour south". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  281. ^ Jason Burke (13 December 2011). "Zardari treated for stroke as son Bilawal is groomed for power in Pakistan". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  282. ^ a b "Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari went to Dubai 'because of threats to his life'". The Daily Telegraph. UK. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  283. ^ Simon Denyer (14 December 2011). "Pakistan's Zardari leaves Dubai hospital". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
  284. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari returns to Pakistan". The Guardian, UK. London. Reuters. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  285. ^ Salam, Nihao. "Pakistan, China sign agreements, MoUs on Economic Corridor Plan, maritime cooperation". www.nihao-salam.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  286. ^ "Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari set to step down at end of five-year term". The Independent. London. 8 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  287. ^ "Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari steps down as his term ends". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  288. ^ "With guard of honour, President Zardari steps down – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 8 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  289. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari steps down as Pakistan's President". The Economic Times. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  290. ^ Mahmood, Asif (30 July 2013). "Zardari vows to revamp PPP after presidential tenure". Dawn. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  291. ^ "Zardari to become president of PPP Parliamentarians". Dawn. Pakistan. 28 December 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  292. ^ "Ex-president Asif Zardari and son Bilawal to contest parliamentary elections". Hindustan Times. 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  293. ^ "Quit and face graft charges 'like a lion': Ex Pak PM Zardari to Nawaz Sharif". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  294. ^ "Pakistan court quashes corruption case against Asif Ali Zardari". The Financial Express. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  295. ^ "Pakistan Court Acquits Asif Ali Zardari in Nearly 2-Decade Old Corruption Case". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  296. ^ "Zardari dismisses talk of deal in his acquittal – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  297. ^ 'Tremendous evidence available': NAB files appeal against Zardari's acquittal in assets case Archived 16 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine Dawn
  298. ^ Will appeal against Benazir Bhutto murder case verdict, says Asif Ali Zardari India TV
  299. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari: Former Pakistan President Zardari arrested". BBC News. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  300. ^ Haider, Kamran (10 August 2020). "Pakistan Court Indicts Ex-President Zardari in Graft Case". Bloomberg. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  301. ^ "NAB Court Indicts Asif Ali Zardari And Faryal Talpur In Corruption References". BOL News. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  302. ^ "Pakistani parliament to meet on Mar. 9 to elect new president, Asif Ali Zardari front-runner". Arab News. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  303. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari elected Pakistan's president for second time". Aljazeera. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  304. ^ "'Artful dodger' Asif Ali Zardari wins second term as Pakistan's president". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  305. ^ "Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as 14th president of Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 10 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  306. ^ ANI (19 April 2024). "Imran Khan's party leader calls Pakistan President Zardari 'illegal'". ThePrint. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  307. ^ ""Unacceptable": Imran Khan's Party After Asif Zardari Elected Pak President, Calls For Protest". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  308. ^ "Good luck charm". Times-News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. 1 February 1990. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  309. ^ "Ex-Prime Minister's husband out on bail". Kingman Daily Miner. Kingman, Arizona. 7 February 1993. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  310. ^ "Profile: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari". BBC News. 30 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  311. ^ Koster, Suzanna (17 May 2007). "No grand return for Pakistan's Bhutto". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  312. ^ "Death of Asif's mother condoled". Dawn. Pakistan. 13 November 2002. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  313. ^ a b Ali, Mohsin (29 May 2011). "Bilawal to head Zardari tribe". Gulf Daily News. Manama, Bahrain. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  314. ^ "Dastar bandi: Zardari takes over as chief of his own tribe – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  315. ^ "Asif Zardari visits spiritual scholar Prof Ahmad Akhter Rafique". The Nation. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  316. ^ Raja, Farrah Karamat (2000). Prof. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar: Mystery Behind the Mystic. Sang-e-Meel Publication. ISBN 978-969-35-1160-4.
  317. ^ "Text: interview with Asif Ali Zardari". The Guardian. 29 December 2000. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  318. ^ Malik, Salik (26 October 2008). "President Asif Ali Zardari 2nd most richest man of Pakistan". Daily Pakistan. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  319. ^ Burns, John F. (9 January 1998). "The Bhutto Millions: A background check far from ordinary". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  320. ^ Khan, Aamer Ahmed (6 April 2005). "No grand return for Zardari". BBC News. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  321. ^ "Pakistan's Sharif barred from election". Singapore: Channel NewsAsia. 3 December 2007. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  322. ^ a b c Lawson, Alastair (10 December 1999). "'Surrey Palace' saga for Benazir". BBC News. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  323. ^ a b c d Hopkins, Nick (6 April 2010). "Pakistan lays claim to Surrey Mansion". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  324. ^ Nelson, Dean (3 August 2010). "Call to question President Zardari over art theft claims". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  325. ^ "Profile". OpenLibrary.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asif Ali Zardari.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Asif Ali Zardari.

Works

Party political offices
Preceded by Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
2007–2015
Served alongside: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari 		Vacant
Preceded by President of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians
2015–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by President of Pakistan
2008–2013 		Succeeded by

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Asif_Ali_Zardari&oldid=1265271238"