Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari is a Pakistani politician who has served as the President of Pakistan in two separate terms. Born on 26 July 1955 in Nawabshah, Sindh, into a prominent landowning family, he entered the public eye through his marriage to Benazir Bhutto in 1987, and he became co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party after her assassination in 2007.

Political career

Zardari spent more than a decade of his early political life in prison on corruption charges — earning him the nickname "Mr. Ten Percent" in the press — though he was never convicted. Following Benazir Bhutto's death, he led the PPP to victory in the 2008 elections and became President in September 2008. His first term was defined by the fight against militancy, the devastating 2010 floods, and the passage of the landmark 18th Amendment, which devolved significant powers from the presidency to parliament and the provinces.

After leaving office in 2013, he remained the de facto leader of the PPP alongside his son Bilawal, and he was elected President for a second time in March 2024, succeeding Arif Alvi.

Legacy

Zardari is regarded as one of Pakistan's most astute political operators, credited with holding the PPP coalition together during difficult years and with the 18th Amendment's devolution of power. His presidency has been praised by supporters for restoring democratic continuity after the Musharraf years, while his critics point to his long legal history. He remains a central figure in Pakistani politics.