“But we are not bothered by such tactics.”. He was never convicted and has maintained his innocence, but allegations of corruption have followed him in his political career. The charges against Mr. Zardari are related to money laundering through suspicious bank accounts and companies. The former president starred in … Sharif alleged that the court’s rulings were politically motivated and backed by Zardari. Indeed, in December 2009 the Pakistani Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional the 2007 amnesty protecting politicians accused of corruption. “There is no evidence against Mr. Zardari.”, “He has spent several years in jail on trumped-up charges,” Mr. Ahmed added. Asif Ali Zardari Obituary. Explore {{searchView.params.phrase}} by color family {{familyColorButtonText(colorFamily.name)}} Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He further pursued his education in London where he studied Business. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed forming a medical board to examine the health condition of former president Asif Ali Zardari who is seeking pre-arrest bail in Rs8 billion suspicious transaction case. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Although never convicted, Zardari was imprisoned from 1997 to 2004; he was elected to the Senate from his jail cell during this time. The former president has remained active in politics, and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party. In the parliamentary elections of February 2008, the PPP captured one-third of the available seats, while the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif won one-fourth of the seats. Author of. Asif Ali Zardari is one of Pakistan's most controversial political figures who survived a series of personal and political setbacks to gain the presidency. In light of ongoing differences, including disputes over Musharraf’s successor, Sharif subsequently withdrew the PML-N from the governing coalition and indicated that his party would put forth its own candidate in the presidential elections…. During the court hearing on Monday, a sister of Mr. Zardari, Faryal Talpur, and 13 other people were also indicted. Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq was killed, ending more than a decade of military rule. Although disagreements destabilized the administration in the months following its formation, in August 2008 Zardari and Sharif led the movement to impeach Pres. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, was indicted on Monday in a money laundering case, the latest legal action against him and one that his supporters say is part of a wider trend against politicians opposed to Prime Minister Imran Khan. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar imposed a ban on sales and purchase of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and owner of Omni Group Properties Anwar Majeed after citing the JIT report. To avoid further public embarrassment, Musharraf resigned his office. It came after a high court rejected extending pre-arrest bail for him and his sister. Faced with the prospect of a Sharif-led protest in the capital, in March 2009 the government agreed to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and a number of other Supreme Court judges who had not yet been returned to their posts (Sharif’s brother was also returned to his position shortly thereafter). “So, it’s nothing for him. Following his release, Zardari sought medical treatment in the United States for psychological distress. He is the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who twice served as Prime Minister of Pakistan. The move was seen as a political victory for Sharif and a significant concession on the part of Zardari, who is thought to have opposed Chaudhry’s return because of the possibility that the amnesty Zardari had enjoyed under Musharraf might be overturned. Along with Zardari, 172 other people have been placed in the ECL including Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur and son Bilawal Zardari. Arnold E. Schneider Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Western Michigan University. The arrest was widely expected; Mr. Sharif, who has served as chief minister of Punjab Province, said last week that Mr. Khan, the prime minister, personally wanted to see him behind bars. Mr. Zardari received his secondary education at Cadet College Petaro. September 6, 2008 - Is elected president of Pakistan. Zardari aggressively sought control of the PPP, but he was the subject of ever-increasing criticism from opponents within and outside the party. In light of ongoing differences, including disputes... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. In 1990 her tenure was cut short by corruption-related scandal, however, and both Zardari and his wife were the focus of attacks from opposition politicians as well as disgruntled members of the PPP, Bhutto’s own party. The case against Asif Ali Zardari, widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is the latest in a string of moves against opposition figures that his supporters say are politically motivated. Shortly after his return in late 2016, he announced his intention to contest the 2018 legislative elections, after which he entered the National Assembly as one of the leaders of the opposition. The Murtaza-Zardari rivalry ended abruptly on September 20, 1996, when Murtaza was shot and killed by police. Marriyum Aurangzeb, spokeswoman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said on Monday that, “Shehbaz Sharif was arrested on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.”. She was born on 25th January; 1990 becoming the first child born to a sitting female Prime Minister. He gained a reputation as a playboy and gadfly for his easygoing lifestyle; an avid polo player and an intense competitor, Zardari demonstrated little interest in the political scene. On December 18, 1987, the two were married in an arranged and relatively simple ceremony, and they went on to have three children: a son, Bilawal, and two daughters, Bakhtwar and Asifa. Low approval ratings led to the PPP losing legislative elections in 2013, and Zardari declined to run for a second term as president as a result. December 2007 - Following his wife's death, Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, are named co-chairs of the Pakistan People's Party. Asif Ali Zardari, (born July 26, 1955, Karachi, Pakistan), politician who served as president of Pakistan (2008–13) and de facto leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) following the assassination of his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, on December 27, 2007. Mr. Sharif is the younger brother of the ousted prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who is in London for medical treatment. Asif Ali Zardari leaving a courthouse in Islamabad, Pakistan, last year. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Asif-Ali-Zardari, Global Security - Biography of Asif Zardari. When asked by court reporters for his comments on Monday’s indictment, Mr. Zardari replied with a verse in Urdu: “We have passed through such junctures earlier also.”. A similar situation developed in October 2019 when former president Asif Ali Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi after his health deteriorated. Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Former President Asif Ali Zardari have been invited by the US President-elect Joe Biden to … Asif Ali Zardari (Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955) was the 11th President of Pakistan, serving from 2008-2013.Zardari, who is co-chairman of the PPP and serves the party with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, assumed office on September 9, 2008.He is also the widower of assasinated Pakistani former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari is the daughter of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari. Former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrested on corruption charges By Sophia Saifi and Bianca Britton , CNN Updated 3:07 PM EDT, Mon June 10, 2019 “These court cases are the usual tactics to intimidate and threaten the political leadership,” Mr. Ahmed said. He is member of National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018. ISLAMABAD: An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane and Thatta Water Supply cases. He functioned as the eleventh President of Pakistan from the year 2008 till 2013. In 2011 the United States located and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad not far from Pakistan’s premier military academy, striking a blow to Pakistan’s image internationally for its failure to capture the al-Qaeda leader. Mr. Zardari, 63, … Conflict within the coalition continued to escalate following Musharraf’s departure. Pervez Musharraf. Asif Ali Zardari, president of Pakistan (2008–13) and de facto leader of the Pakistan People’s Party since 2007. Browse 4,362 asif ali zardari stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Asif Ali Zardari (Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 21 July 1956) is the president-elect of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). The United States had expanded its use of drone strikes in Pakistan to target Pashtun militants who were waging a guerrilla campaign against international forces and the Afghan government in the Afghanistan War. He left the country in 2015, however, amid tensions with the security establishment. An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane and Thatta Water Supply cases. The toll exacted on Zardari’s health by his imprisonment was considerable. After Bhutto’s return to power in 1993, he served as minister of the environment (1993–96) and federal minister for investment (1995–96) in her government. December 2013. Zardari was among the thousands of people affected by the ruling, which essentially reactivated cases against them. Updates? But critics say that Mr. Khan’s government, in collusion with Pakistan’s powerful military, is targeting the opposition in the guise of accountability. Still, he became the first president in Pakistan’s history to serve a full term. Zardari’s term was marked by increased U.S. involvement in Pakistan. Asif Ali Zardari, husband of slain Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto thanks supporters for their condolences at his house in Naudero near Larkana, Pakistan on … He rose to prominence after marrying Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, before she became prime minister. Conflict within the coalition continued to escalate following Musharraf’s departure. He served as president from 2008 to 2013, and is currently a member of Parliament. Asif Ali Zardari was born on July 25, 1955 in Karachi, to a prominent Baloch family from Nawabshah, Sindh. The former president starred in … “Where is the evidence?” he said. Opposition parties have also warned of countrywide protests against the Khan government and the military next month. Mr. Zardari and his sister denied the charges. Former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari is being questioned over a multi-million dollar money-laundering case. She said the arrest was politically motivated. Also on Monday, anticorruption officials arrested the leader of the opposition in Parliament, Shehbaz Sharif, president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, after a high court rejected his bail plea in a money laundering case in the eastern city of Lahore. Former president Asif Ali Zardari had performed in a Pakistani movie in his childhood days, Geo News reported on Saturday. Sharif and Zardari were not reconciled, however, and their sustained feuding ultimately caused Sharif to withdraw his party from the coalition. His presidency saw significant controversy but was the first to see out a … Mr. Khan, who won the 2018 election on a strong anticorruption platform, denies the accusation. He was married to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in 1987 who was Prime Minister of Pakistan twice (1988-90 and 1993-96). 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