Khalid Omar writes a short detailed history of Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, though for a Pakistani its nothing new, but its mostly a much needed refresher since we seem to have been missing out on the facts how this small time un-educated feudal lord climbed the power corridor to become the most powerful man in Pakistan. The best part of the write up is when KO subtitles the official biography of Mr. Zardari as published on the offical ‘President of Pakistan website’. Its all worth a good read
A short history of Asif Ali Zardari
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34 responses to “A short history of Asif Ali Zardari”
Surprised someone found something to write about him.
I opt not to write mostly about Zardari and Nawaz.
They not only make people shutup but history of Pakistan Shutup!!
Wooh Sanehaa jo Benazir ki Maut sai baara hai!
well said Farrah
No post about the dharna and long march ?
an illetrate unable president of pakistan
How this man arrived where he has is just a wonder…but even a bigger wonder is that he is tolerated by his own party. At this point Pakistanis are shell shocked by the ravages and destruction MUSH left behind and I guess what will keep AZ in power is 'give democracy a chance' slogan. There has to be a revolt within PPP, he must be toppled from within, outside forces can not do that in this environment…so common PPP people in the name of whatever little honor and patriotism left in you rise up and get rid of this illiterate two bit criminal…he will send you to political oblivion and in the process will make a banana of this country!
Golden Words:
"Tumhari kamyabi mein sab se bari rukawat tumhari biwi hai…."
Hazrat Asif Ali Zardari
I hope this does not break your posting guidelines…
but this link used to break me up a few years ago… It been there for at least 4 years I think
http://americantesticle.does.it/
Now I see it pointing to the new one..
Zardari is a man of shady background. However, Nawaz Sharif fell to his (Zardari's) trap so innocently and easily that it leaves many doubts about the wisdom and ability of NS as a leader. A person unable to see beyond his nose and unable to predict future stands no chance to lead people. Zardari came to power due foolish political decisions by the PML(n) leaders in their vindictive pursuit to teach a lesson to Musharraf.In the process they imposed Zardari on the nation for which history would nt spare them too.
ZARDARI IS NOT A GOOD PERSON WHY HE IS RESUMING SHARIF BROTHERS.GIVE THEM ANSWERS.WHY U ARE ……………………………………….
Shame on the nation that does not "RESPECT" its "PRESIDENT"
Woh "BEHANCHOD" ap ka SADAR hai aur "KANJAR" ki bhi kuch izat hai.
Khabardar jo kisi nay us "KUTTI KE BACHAY" ko gali di.
Haya karowoh "DALLA" akhir elected leader hai.
Hum "MADARCHOD" ki izzat nahi karain gay to uss "GANDU" ki dunia mein kaun izzat kare ga.
Breathtaking Eloquence!
Kash main Mashriq ki Baiti na hoti to Asif Ali Zardari k Golden Words per Amal karti. Lakin woh MADARCHOD Mashriq ka nahi kisi Kutte Ka Beta hai aur us nai apni Bivi ko apni taraqi ke rasta se hata diya.
Kash main us waqt Musharaf ke Golden Words "Sub se pehle Pakistan" per amal ker laiti to aaj youn Pakistan ro to na raha hota.
Asif Ali Zardari ne mujhe marwa diya, kash main usko marwa daiti.
Hey kash "Mashriq Ki Baiti".
It’s a belated opinion, a not terribly original one at that but the road to Mr 10 % to the presidency provides a good solid case for Mr Zardari’s skill at hatching elaborate, intricate long term strategies. It’s already a popular assumption that Zardari engineered Benazir’s assassination for he clearly had the most to benefit from it. It takes a man who is good at playing the textured, complex game of chess to devise such an ingenious plot. It all started with him keeping a distance from his wife which helped people disassociate Benazir with horrid corruption charges of the previous two terms. This move brilliantly complimented Musharrif’s rapid downturn in popularity following the Justice Iftikhar, Lal Masjid and emergency fiasco. Benzair was popular again and was received with open arms at the cost of 160 people dying in Karachi. Benazir’s popularity shot up significantly and when she was eventually slain in December a grieving Zardari made his long awaited appearance. Benazir’s assassination did wonders for the ’08 elections and effectively marked the end of Musharrif rule. Zardari took reins of People Party, and with his signature grin and newly found sympathy vote allied himself with Nawaz Sharif and gang to oust Mushariff which they did and eventually got elected to the prized presidency. In summary to call Zardari uneducated and clueless is unfair for he has displayed a remarkable capacity for strategic thinking and utmost excellence in his acting prowess with enormous reserves of patience, toiling in jail for ten years. He is indeed a talented president we should be proud of and must value accordingly.
Absolutely…Lucky Luciano was also brilliant!!!
My cast is Zardarai .President Zardari has drown the name our cast. We are really sorry for his acts. But please dont Say Zardari(cast) bad. I have noticed people are sending sms messages with name zardari. If you have any problems say asif zardari. Please dont say zardari only.Its a hamble request.
It’s a belated opinion, a not terribly original one at that but the road from Mr 10 % to the presidency provides a good solid case for Mr Zardari’s skill at hatching elaborate, intricate long term strategies. It’s already a popular assumption that Zardari engineered Benazir’s assassination for he clearly had the most to benefit from it. It takes a man who is good at playing the textured, complex game of chess to devise such an ingenious plot. It all started with him keeping a distance from his wife which helped people disassociate Benazir with horrid corruption charges of the previous two terms. This move brilliantly complimented Musharrif’s rapid downturn in popularity following the Justice Iftikhar, Lal Masjid and emergency fiasco. Benazir was popular again and was received with open arms at the cost of 160 people dying in Karachi. Benazir’s popularity shot up significantly and when she was eventually slain in December a grieving Zardari made his long awaited appearance. Benazir’s assassination did wonders for the ’08 elections and effectively marked the end of Musharrif rule. Zardari took reins of People Party, and with his signature grin and newly found sympathy vote allied himself with Nawaz Sharif and gang to oust Mushariff which they did and eventually got elected to the prized presidency. In summary to call Zardari uneducated and clueless is unfair for he has displayed a remarkable capacity for strategic thinking and utmost excellence in his acting prowess with enormous reserves of patience, toiling in jail for ten years. He is indeed a talented president with huge reserves of shrewdness and cunning, we should be proud of and must value accordingly.
Everyone is aware of Zaradri's great track record before coming into power and most people were disappointed to see Zardari becoming president. I was hoping that Zardari is a changed person and may surprise everyone but it was only a wishful thinking.
I spoke to one of my friends who came from Karachi very recently, he has got a lot of inside information as he is actively involved in politics and knows many politicians. He told me how Zardari is making money from constructors but worst case i heard is of Kalia, Khanani forex scandal Kalia, Khanani held in forex scandal
Appreantly, Zardari asked them for Rs 30 billion (I hope it's equal to 30 ARAB??)
but they could only organise Rs 23 billion but Zardari refused the deal and asked them to arrange 30 billions. Although it's not a surprise but it looks like Zardari knows he will be in trouble sooner or later so he is making as much money as possible. If he stays in power, our current situation will surely not improve as previous governments were doing some development work while looting the money but this guy seems to have only ONE mission.
So whatelse is Zardari upto these days???
How can other parties (or his own party) make sure he is not on a looting mission????
French, Polish, Spanish, and Swiss documents have fuelled the charges of corruption against Bhutto and her husband. They faced a number of legal proceedings, including a charge of laundering money through Swiss banks. Though never convicted, her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, spent eight years in prison on similar corruption charges. After being released on bail in 2004, Zardari suggested that his time in prison involved torture; human rights groups have supported his claim that his rights were violated.[28]
A 1998 New York Times investigative report[29] claims that Pakistani investigators have documents that uncover a network of bank accounts, all linked to the family's lawyer in Switzerland, with Asif Zardari as the principal shareholder. According to the article, documents released by the French authorities indicated that Zardari offered exclusive rights to Dassault, a French aircraft manufacturer, to replace the air force's fighter jets in exchange for a 5% commission to be paid to a Swiss corporation controlled by Zardari. The article also said a Dubai company received an exclusive license to import gold into Pakistan for which Asif Zardari received payments of more than $10 million into his Dubai-based Citibank accounts. The owner of the company denied that he had made payments to Zardari and claims the documents were forged.
Bhutto maintained that the charges levelled against her and her husband were purely political.[30][31] An Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) report supports Bhutto's claim. It presents information suggesting that Benazir Bhutto was ousted from power in 1990 as a result of a witch hunt approved by then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. The AGP report says Khan illegally paid legal advisers 28 million rupees to file 19 corruption cases against Bhutto and her husband in 1990–92.[32]
Yet the assets held by Bhutto and her husband continue to be scrutinized and speculated about. The prosecutors have alleged that their Swiss bank accounts contain £740 million.[33] Zardari also bought a neo-Tudor mansion and estate worth over £4 million in Surrey, England, UK.[34][35] The Pakistani investigations have tied other overseas properties to Zardari's family. These include a $2.5 million manor in Normandy owned by Zardari's parents, who had modest assets at the time of his marriage.[29] Bhutto denied holding substantive overseas assets.
Switzerland
On 23 July 1998, the Swiss Government handed over documents to the government of Pakistan which relate to corruption allegations against Benazir Bhutto and her husband.[36] The documents included a formal charge of money laundering by Swiss authorities against Zardari. The Pakistani government had been conducting a wide-ranging inquiry to account for more than $13.7 million frozen by Swiss authorities in 1997 that was allegedly stashed in banks by Bhutto and her husband. The Pakistani government recently filed criminal charges against Bhutto in an effort to track down an estimated $1.5 billion she and her husband are alleged to have received in a variety of criminal enterprises.[37] The documents suggest that the money Zardari was alleged to have laundered was accessible to Benazir Bhutto and had been used to buy a diamond necklace for over $175,000.[38] The PPP has responded by flatly denying the charges, suggesting that Swiss authorities have been misled by false evidence provided by the Government of Pakistan.
On 6 August 2003, Swiss magistrates found Bhutto and her husband guilty of money laundering.[39] They were given six-month suspended jail terms, fined $50,000 each and were ordered to pay $11 million to the Pakistani government. The six-year trial concluded that Bhutto and Zardari deposited in Swiss accounts $10 million given to them by a Swiss company in exchange for a contract in Pakistan. The couple said they would appeal. The Pakistani investigators say Zardari opened a Citibank account in Geneva in 1995 through which they say he passed some $40 million of the $100 million he received in payoffs from foreign companies doing business in Pakistan.[40] In October 2007, Daniel Zappelli, chief prosecutor of the canton of Geneva, said he received the conclusions of a money laundering investigation against former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on October 29, but it was unclear whether there would be any further legal action against her in Switzerland.[41]
Poland
The Polish Government has given Pakistan 500 pages of documentation relating to corruption allegations against Benazir Bhutto and her husband. These charges are in regard to the purchase of 8,000 tractors in a 1997 deal.[42][43] According to Pakistani officials, the Polish papers contain details of illegal commissions paid by the tractor company in return for agreeing to their contract.[44] It was alleged that the arrangement "skimmed" Rs 103 mn rupees ($2 million) in kickbacks.[30] "The documentary evidence received from Poland confirms the scheme of kickbacks laid out by Asif Zardari and Benazir Bhutto in the name of (the) launching of Awami tractor scheme", APP said. Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari allegedly received a 7.15% commission on the purchase through their front men, Jens Schlegelmilch and Didier Plantin of Dargal S.A., who received about $1.969 million for supplying 5,900 Ursus tractors.[45]
France
Potentially the most lucrative deal alleged in the documents involved the effort by Dassault Aviation, a French military contractor. French authorities indicated in 1998 that Bhutto's husband, Zardari, offered exclusive rights to Dassault to replace the air force's fighter jets in exchange for a five percent commission to be paid to a corporation in Switzerland controlled by Zardari.[46]
At the time, French corruption laws forbade bribery of French officials but permitted payoffs to foreign officials, and even made the payoffs tax-deductible in France. However, France changed this law in 2000.[47]
Helicopter scandal
In 1998-1999, an enquiry was conducted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament to investigate the matter regarding the purchase of the helicopter. The case involves defrauding substantive sum of $2.168 million and $1.1 million public money. The record shows that the case was not pursued properly nor diligently. FIR No 1 of 1998 was registered with Federal Investigation Agency State Bank Circle Rawalpindi on the complaint of Cabinet Division. Thorough investigation was conducted by the committee headed by Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir and two other members, namely Faridullah Jamali and Jamshaid Ali Shah. During this investigation the committee Chairman Barjees Tahir summoned both the former President Farooq Leghari and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto along with others, and they were investigated. The case received extensive media coverage both inside and outside Pakistan. The recommendations of the committee, obtained from the file, are as follows:
6.1: That FIR be lodged against (1) Malik Allah Yar Khan of Kalabagh, (2) Zia Pervez Hussain, (3) and Dr M.A. Khan, and that criminal proceedings be instituted against them for defrauding the government.
6.2: That the amount of $2.168 million be recovered from Malik Allah Yar Khan, Zia Pervez Hussain and Dr M.A. Khan by attaching their properties etc in Pakistan or abroad for this purpose. FIA may be directed to take steps to recover this money through Interpol, if necessary. Any banker or foreign national involved in this fraud may also be taken to task by the Federal Investigation Agency.
6.3: That since Benazir Bhutto is clearly responsible for this loss to the exchequer as major decisions in respect of this contract were taken with her approval or direction and passed on to Cabinet Division through former PS PM (Ahmad Sadiq), FIR may be registered against her for causing loss to state by misuse of her authority as PM, and criminal proceedings be initiated.
6.4: That since Farooq Leghari knows that his name has visibly come up in this case, and he has tried to plead innocent; and since it is unimaginable that those operating in this scandal could have easy access to the top bureaucrats like Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and even to the Prime Minister herself without the backing and active support of the President, FIR against him must also be registered and criminal proceedings initiated.
6.5: That as for the senior civil servants involved in the case, Ahmad Sadiq former PS PM, Humayun Faiz Rasul, and Sahibzada Imtiaz former Cabinet Secretary, no action can be taken against them at this stage as they already stand retired/superannuated.
The case was further referred to the National Accountability Bureau in 2000-02 but no action was taken.
Western Asia
In the largest single payment investigators have uncovered, a gold bullion dealer in Western Asia was alleged to have deposited at least $10 million into one of Zardari's accounts after the Bhutto government gave him a monopoly on gold imports that sustained Pakistan's jewellery industry. The money was allegedly deposited into Zardari's Citibank account in Dubai. Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast, stretching from Karachi to the border with Iran, has long been a gold smugglers' haven. Until the beginning of Bhutto's second term, the trade, running into hundreds of millions of dollars a year, was unregulated, with slivers of gold called biscuits, and larger weights in bullion, carried on planes and boats that travel between the Persian Gulf and the largely unguarded Pakistani coast.
Shortly after Bhutto returned as prime minister in 1993, a Pakistani bullion trader in Dubai, Abdul Razzak Yaqub, proposed a deal: in return for the exclusive right to import gold, Razzak would help the government regularize the trade. In November 1994, Pakistan's Commerce Ministry wrote to Razzak informing him that he had been granted a license that made him, for at least the next two years, Pakistan's sole authorized gold importer. In an interview in his office in Dubai, Razzak acknowledged that he had used the license to import more than $500 million in gold into Pakistan, and that he had travelled to Islamabad several times to meet with Bhutto and Zardari. But he denied that there had been any corruption or secret deals. "I have not paid a single cent to Zardari," he said. Razzak claims that someone in Pakistan who wished to destroy his reputation had contrived to have his company wrongly identified as the depositor. "Somebody in the bank has cooperated with my enemies to make false documents," he said.[48][49][50][51]
Bhutto's niece and others have publicly accused Bhutto of complicity in the killing of her brother Murtaza Bhutto in 1996 by uniformed police officers while she was Prime Minister.[52
Money laundering
An associate of Bhutto said: "Mr Zardari has an image problem, because of a lingering reputation of corruption, despite not having been convicted of any wrongdoing. He will need to change this image.”[40]
Zardari was accused of money-laundering activities in a US Senate report on private banking and money-laundering.[41]
Zardari was under criminal investigation in Switzerland over receipts of kickbacks from two Swiss-based companies while his wife, the late Benazir Bhutto, served as the country's prime minister in the 1990s, a Swiss judge and two Swiss lawyers close to the case told Newsweek. Judge Daniel Devaud continued investigations despite pressure from US officials.[42]
In Britain, the decade-old civil proceedings focus on Zardari. Zardari is accused of using illicit funds to acquire the 365-acre Rockwood estate, a $6.5-million property featuring a Tudor-style mansion and two adjoining farms in the Surrey district. The estate was bought and refurbished in 1995 through trusts in the Isle of Man and Liechtenstein, in addition to firms in the Caribbean linked to Bhutto, Zardari and the alleged kickbacks, according to the lawsuit. According to British court records, Zardari steadfastly denied ownership until January 2006, when he acknowledged he owned the property. The judge did rule that there is a “reasonable prospect” of proving that funds used to refurbish the estate were “the fruits of corruption,” according to the documents.[43]
Dear Khan,
I wish there should be a comrehensive bio-data of Zardari,easily available . He was owner of a cinema by the name of LYRIC adjascent to BAMBINO.It was asmaller cinema.Since Construction-work was very prfitable,the cinema was sold out to generate some capital for the new business & came up ASIF APPATMENTS opposite NASRA school Soldier Bazaar karachi.The project remained incomlete for about a decade,the investors were ruined as Zardari wasted the raised capital on women,wine & friends.
Here enters Benazeer.The project came into life.Work started; not that only,the plot between ASIF APPTTs & Capri cinema was added to the project under duress; not that only, the project was raised by another 5 stories.It cannot be legal as there is ban in the area to not to raise any construction above the level of THE PODIUM of THE MAZAAR OF THE QUAD-E-AZAM.The project was sold away.The title of the project was also changed & this was perhaps the first big money Zardari saw in his life .This illegally constructed project is there to mock at the LAW & the RULES.This paved the way for the Talented Zardari to plan his jouney on the uncharted paths of CORRUPTION,INTIMIDATIONS & MURDERS.Who dares PROVE-IT.
The BIO-DATA needs to be completed & made easily available.
hasanakhtar39@gmail.com
why i use my energy for giving comments for Mr. Zardari.
its enough to understand.
Gandu brotheran ( nawaz and shahbaz) ky sathio tum sab pay Allah ki lanat.Pakistan mein es gandu party ka koi future nahi he Gandu Brotheran sarif gand marwan gy kabi mushraf se aur kabi zardari se ye dono kute ki olad hen ye pakistan ky dushman hen en pay aur en ka sath dene walo par Allah ki lanat he
I love Asif ali zardari.muje yaqin he aur allah pay barosa he Asif Ali Zardari hi pakistan ka future he.asif ali zardari fareshton se bi zayada masoom he aur pakistan se mohabat karta he. asif ali zardari pakistan ka mahtirmuhammad he es ki izatt karo.es murd-e-kalander ne 11 sal jail kati gnadu brotheran tu mulk se bagh ge the.bagne walon ko log gandu kyte hen. asif ali zardari zandabad pakistan zandabad
Zardari teri maa ka bhosra. Apne Kutto ko Awam k peeche lagaya hua hai k wo tujhe aur teri madarchod sathion ko gali na den. Randi k bachche. Teri, Sharif Bros ki aur Altaf ki Maa ki chut.
Log kuch bhe kahean magar ye aik hakeekat hae k es donya mae hum jo bhe kareange us ka sela akeer milega/ Asif ne jo bhe keya Allah us ka sela usees donya mae our akheerat mae bhe dega.Ameen
This is perhaps the greatest tragedy that Zardari is our president. We have giving him the keys of our coffers and he and his henchmen including top to bottom will rob and escape. Every individual of this unfortunate country will have to pay the price for this greatest final blunder which is bigger than himalayas.
i m sure that the money robbed by zardari will never never give him peace and one day he will leave this mortal world for his offspring to fight for centuries. The money robbed by zardari and benazir belongs to the people of pakistan which is greater than the total foreign debts USD 55 billion owed by it (Pakistan).
Death of benazir is a lesson for zardari who left this world sans enjoying the robbed money.
Who can make zardari understand this phenomenon that peace of mind is a divine blessing which can be achieved through money earned by fair means only.
hozooor-e-akram (SAW) nay farmaya hay K jab tum allah ki nafarmani had say zida karoo gay too allah tum mai say badtareen log (worst people) tum per hukmaraan (leader) bana day gaa …
zardari bora nahi nazaaw bora nahi … woo hum maai say haan … buray hum haan …. zardai TO BUS ALLAH KA AZAAB HAY hay ….
Mr. Lodhi is right. Zardari coming to power is not a joke. It is really wrath of Allah. In my opinion it reflects the collective wisdom and character of the people of Pakistan, who abhore zardari but do not care to mend their own behaviours. So long as we people of Pakistan will not correct even greater zardarees will remain coming to power to rob and fleece us in the name of democracy.
One can easily understand the present political scenario where dacoits have been allowed to rob us and the lesser evil Nawaz Sharif is in waiting for his term to rob us in the name of democracy.
zardari zindabad
PAKISTAN KEY YE GOOD LUCK HAY K ZARDARI SB JESA AZEEM BANDA PRESIDENT HAY.HAM KISI SE SADDAR KA TAQABAL NAHI KARTE,KOI ACHHA YA BURA APNE AMAAL KA JAWAB DEH HAY.KISI KO BURA KEHNE SE WO BURA NAHE HOTA BALKEH APNI ASLIAT ZAHIR KARTA HE K MEN KIS ZARF KA MALIK HOON.LEADER SAB ACHHE HOTE HAIN QASOOR HAMARA HOTA HAY K HAM UN SE GHALAT TAWAQAT KAR LETE HEN. RESULT;NAZAR WOHI ATA HAY JO BANDA DEKHNA CHAHTA HAY YA AAINA MEN APNI SHAKAL NAZAR AATI HAY.
Khappay Khappay Zardari Khappay
Jayeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Zardarrrrrriiiiiiiii
Jayeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Zardarrrrrriiiiiiiii
shahzada bhai
Zardari eik kuta he. Eik haram khoor.zaleel bharwa aur chutoo He.apne gand bhe jood wata he. Pahly bar maine he zardari ke gand joodi thi. Wo us boohut tarpa lekin ahista seek gaya aur ye bara randi baz he. Awam ke paise ko ise tara gand main dal raha he.
Asif Zardari is a good person and I appriciate it politics
hummaray mulk mien awam ki k vote ki koi haisiyat nahi jo america chahata hai wohi iqtedaar mien hota hai we are just dummy in the eyes of our politician thats why they only believe and try to make america happy no peoles