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Zardari to be next president

Mark my words. The day when Zardari gives up chairmanship of the PPP and becomes President, there would be an obvious opening to exploit.

Whoever becomes the next chairman, might just do the infamous Pakistani kalti, we're so used to in politics.

I don't think so, Zardari is a cool customer he appears to be shrewd and smart politician than Nawaz.

Nawaz is playing politics of vendetta he would have gained a lot if he would have had some internal deal with Musharaf.

Instead Zardari had some deal with Musharaf behind the scene however he had to give up on Musharaf due to internal and external pressures.

PPP is and will always remain as a Bhutto's party, So even after Zardari becomes president and gives up chaimanship no one can challenge him, remember he can always play Bilawal card.
 
I don't think so, Zardari is a cool customer he appears to be shrewd and smart politician than Nawaz.

Nawaz is playing politics of vendetta he would have gained a lot if he would have had some internal deal with Musharaf.

Instead Zardari had some deal with Musharaf behind the scene however he had to give up on Musharaf due to internal and external pressures..


I think in the long you will find that it was NS that has "played" Zardari.
With the president and PM from the PPP the onus will fall on them for attacks and economics by the public.
Give it a couple of years and the public will want NS.




PPP is and will always remain as a Bhutto's party, So even after Zardari becomes president and gives up chaimanship no one can challenge him, remember he can always play Bilawal card.

Why has nobody made it law that you have to get get elected by law to the leadership of a party?
 
Citibank’s branches in Dubai and Switzerland provided the off-shore accounts and banking facilities that would enable Asif Ali Zardari to receive a questionable payment from a Dubai-based financier. Zardari is the husband of Benazir Bhutto, the former Pakistani prime minister.

Citibank opened three private bank accounts in Switzerland and a consumer account in Dubai for three corporations under Zardari's control between 1994 and 1997. Some of these accounts were allegedly used to disguise $10m in kickbacks for a gold importing contract to Pakistan.



Chowk: Politics: How Citibank Laundered Asif Zardari\'s Money


A US Bank did not want to be associated with him. And now he sits on the decision about the fate of Judiciary.
His close teams memebers, Sherry Rehman has very close link with Shaukat Aziz through her third Husband. Rehman Malik and Hussain Ahmed Haqqani have close link with C.I.A-USA, Mossad-Israel, MI6 British Secrate agency, . The three people, PPP Outsiders, Sherry Reman, Rehman Malik, Hussain Ahmed Haqqani calling the shots for Judges. According to Habib Jalib, "yeh das karore awam, yeh gaddeh......aqil en ki soe gayee......" Everyone is quiet about Zardari money. What will this man give Pakistan?:disagree:

Hmmm........, should we pride upon having them or........what should now we do????

Well, let see how will Gen Kiayni-the COAS and other genrals looks to salute such unique President ............ that would be the moment which will set the new track to Pakistan's Future. :smokin:
GOD BLESS US


Shaukat Aziz wasn't his bank manager was he..?
 
washingtonpost.com

Bhutto's Widower Declares Pakistani Presidential BidParty Leader's Past Remains an Issue
By Candace Rondeaux
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 24, 2008;



ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Aug. 23 -- The widower of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto said Saturday that he will run for the presidency, reviving questions about his cloudy political past and the future of the U.S. alliance with Pakistan.

The decision by Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the largest party in Pakistan's ruling coalition government, comes nearly a week after Pervez Musharraf stepped down from the presidency rather than face impeachment. Zardari received a unanimous vote of support from his party Friday.

Known for years as "Mr. 10 Percent" for his conviction on corruption charges in the 1990s, Zardari became an unlikely hero for his party when he took the helm after Bhutto's assassination on Dec. 27. He then helped the party win a sweeping victory in national parliamentary elections in February.
Zardari, 52, had hinted two weeks ago that he might not run for president, suggesting instead that his Pakistan People's Party might support a woman for the post. Top female candidates included Faryal Talpur, Zardari's sister and a member of Parliament, and Fehmida Mirza, the newly appointed speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly.

By Thursday, however, Talpur appeared to be out of the running, leaving Mirza, a longtime friend of Bhutto's who bears a striking resemblance to her. Hours before Zardari's announcement, speculation was high that the party would back her.

Zardari did not appear in public to announce his candidacy Saturday. Instead, senior party members broadcast his decision at a news conference at his home in the capital city of Islamabad.
Raza Rabbani, a senior Pakistan People's Party official, said the party expects Zardari to win the presidency when Parliament votes on Musharraf's replacement Sept. 6. Rabbani called Zardari's leadership "commendable" and praised him for helping to form the ruling coalition government.
Zardari's ascendancy appeared far from certain, as signs of cracks in the coalition government emerged this week.

Shortly after Musharraf stepped down, Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, leader of the other party in the ruling coalition, vowed to reinstate Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and dozens of judges deposed last year under Musharraf's government.

But since signing an agreement to restore the judges, Zardari and Sharif have been locked in a political tug of war over which judges to reinstall.

Sharif has pressed hard for Chaudhry's reinstatement. But analysts say Chaudhry, who earned a reputation for challenging corruption, could use his power to renew corruption charges against Zardari if the chief justice is allowed to return to the bench.

Sharif has set and reset deadlines for the judges' reinstatement, saying his Pakistan Muslim League-N faction will pull out of the coalition government if the judiciary is not fully restored.

Chaudhry's suspension and then ouster ignited a wave of protests across the country and fueled the rise of a powerful opposition to Musharraf. The push to reinstate Chaudhry and the others created a groundswell of support for Sharif, who became a vehement advocate for the judges' restoration. The movement helped Sharif's party win the second-largest number of seats in Parliament.

Pakistan People's Party members deny there is a rift in the coalition over the judges. On Saturday, several members of both parties said they expect Parliament to pass a resolution calling for the restoration of the judges within days.

Zardari, who served several years in prison in Pakistan on corruption charges, is currently facing money-laundering charges in Switzerland. But under a deal reached with Musharraf last year, Zardari was essentially granted amnesty from further prosecution in Pakistan on corruption charges. Zardari was also acquitted in the murder of Bhutto's brother in 1996. :confused::azn::undecided:

Special correspondent Shaiq Hussain contributed to this report
 
Zardari presidency is a win win for USA. USA backed Mush, but he was unpredictable, often double crossed the West. Zardari is a better bet. US is pushing for him than NS. They have him by his balls,as they know all his secret Swiss bank accounts. Kiyani is also pro US. Asif & Kiyani have given NATO card Blanche do whatever they want. Pakistan's economy is in shambles and needs constant infusion of dollars, so guess who hold the strings.
 
I don't think so, Zardari is a cool customer he appears to be shrewd and smart politician than Nawaz.

Nawaz is playing politics of vendetta he would have gained a lot if he would have had some internal deal with Musharaf.

Instead Zardari had some deal with Musharaf behind the scene however he had to give up on Musharaf due to internal and external pressures.

PPP is and will always remain as a Bhutto's party, So even after Zardari becomes president and gives up chaimanship no one can challenge him, remember he can always play Bilawal card.
You know the best thing is? The whole fight started between a Iftikhar Chowdhary and Musharraf. Both are out and Mr. "clean" is in.

The problem for Zardari in becoming President and a PPP member is that it just ampliphies the parrallels people are drawing up between him and Musharraf.

People just remember Musharraf now from 9-Mar-2007. A show of clinging to power. Zardari's doing that.

Feb till date. The only thing we have seen is a struggle to expand control and power.

People used to joke about the President house as the Conspiracy house, and that would remain the same with a PPP head, as the President. I'm also assuming he won't remove A. 58-2b as well.

The judges if restored by tomorrow night would be under severe pressure to oust him. So basically asking him to sign off on the judges issue is like signing a plea statement.

Today PML-N revealed it all. They said that on 7-Aug they agreed with PPP that if the 18th Amendment is passed which overturns all the things Musharraf did and brings back the Judges they will support a PPP President and if not PPP and PML-N would agree on a neutral President.

Zardari doesn't need PML-N. PML-Q, MQM, ANP all have put their weight behind Zardari. PML-N will sit in opposition in the days to come.

Now how will Zardari go if not through a break in PPP? Coup. Law n order situation would get reaaaaaaally bad. Finally some general maybe Kayani or the next one would decide its time to act and he'll go.
 
Allah Pakistani qaum ko Aqlay saleem ata fermaye (which looks quite bleak to me). When I saw people distributing sweets on his annoucement, I only wish to bang my head against the wall, but I am ot as stupid as my fellow countrymen, why should I injured myself. ;)
 

Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent in Islamabad
August 25, 2008

ASIF Ali Zardari, the controversial widower of Benazir Bhutto, became the frontrunner to replace Pervez Musharraf as Pakistan's president at the weekend when he was nominated to run in a poll scheduled for next month.

But almost immediately attempts were under way to thwart his ambition as it emerged that he was poised to assume powers greater than those held by Pervez Musharraf during his tenure as military dictator.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who heads the junior partner in the coalition, demanded yesterday that the dominant Pakistan People's Party agree to slash the president's powers before he would support its candidate.

Among the powers set to be held will be chairmanship of the National Security Council, which controls the country's nuclear arsenal. Nominations close tomorrow ahead of the election on September 6.

The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), with which Mr Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is nominally in coalition, is seeking a "principled and highly regarded" candidate to run against the man widely derided in the past as "Mr 10 Per Cent" and who was jailed for 11 years over unproved corruption charges.

The PML (N) move followed Mr Zardari's weekend announcement that he would seek the presidency, and expectations that the fragile coalition would collapse today, the latest deadline set by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the reinstatement of chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other judges sacked by Mr Musharraf.

Last night, PPP officials dared Mr Sharif to "do what he likes ... we don't care", as one party insider put it to The Australian.

Mr Sharif is angry over Mr Zardari's repeated breaking of promises made over the restoration of the judges. It emerged yesterday that when the latest promise was made and broken in Islamabad in August 5 - that the judges would be reinstated within 24 hours of Mr Musharraf leaving office - a copy of the Koran was produced to sanctify the written agreement.

"Let's take an oath on the Koran this time that I will fulfil all my promises," Mr Zardari is reported to have said to Mr Sharif.

Mr Sharif is said to have responded to the PPP leader: "I don't want to swear on the Holy Koran for political objectives but I would expect that all promises would be fulfilled."

Mr Musharraf resigned last Monday and as of yesterday the judges had not been restored.

Mr Zardari, asked yesterday about the promise, is reported to have said: "Political parties do not make promises, they only arrive at understandings." There was little optimism in Islamabad of the judges being restored in the near future, thus leaving Mr Sharif with little alternative but to pull out of the coalition.

Mr Zardari does not want Mr Chaudhry restored because he regards him as a "loose cannon" who might overturn an amnesty granted by Mr Musharraf last year to the PPP leader and his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, over corruption charges from 1996.

Assuming he wins the presidency, analysts say Mr Zardari is destined to become the most powerful ruler in recent Pakistan history. In addition to becoming chairman of the National Security Council, which control's the country's nuclear arsenal, he will also have authority to appoint whoever he likes to command the armed forces as well as all provincial governors.

He will also be able to pick the chief electoral commissioner, chief justice and attorney-general, as well as dissolve the national and provincial parliaments.

The PPP has a commanding lead in the electoral college, which is made up of all members of the national and provincial parliaments. It will name the president on September 6.
 
Zardari is Musharraf ++. (Khakim Ba Dahan but I think) Pakistan is heading towards a greater chaos and instability.
 
Zardari for President​



Lord have mercy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
You know the best thing is? The whole fight started between a Iftikhar Chowdhary and Musharraf. Both are out and Mr. "clean" is in.

The problem for Zardari in becoming President and a PPP member is that it just ampliphies the parrallels people are drawing up between him and Musharraf.

People just remember Musharraf now from 9-Mar-2007. A show of clinging to power. Zardari's doing that.

Feb till date. The only thing we have seen is a struggle to expand control and power.

People used to joke about the President house as the Conspiracy house, and that would remain the same with a PPP head, as the President. I'm also assuming he won't remove A. 58-2b as well.

The judges if restored by tomorrow night would be under severe pressure to oust him. So basically asking him to sign off on the judges issue is like signing a plea statement.

Today PML-N revealed it all. They said that on 7-Aug they agreed with PPP that if the 18th Amendment is passed which overturns all the things Musharraf did and brings back the Judges they will support a PPP President and if not PPP and PML-N would agree on a neutral President.

Zardari doesn't need PML-N. PML-Q, MQM, ANP all have put their weight behind Zardari. PML-N will sit in opposition in the days to come.

Now how will Zardari go if not through a break in PPP? Coup. Law n order situation would get reaaaaaaally bad. Finally some general maybe Kayani or the next one would decide its time to act and he'll go.

At the end of all this i am sure NS will take power.
Everything that goes wrong from now on will be blamed on the PPP....the mushy excuse will weaken over time.
AZ should have had a member of NS party as president,thus shifting part of the blame on to them in the coming couple of years of turbulance.
It will take a few years to right the wrongs of mushy.
 
Shaukat Aziz wasn't his bank manager was he..?

Both of us either you or me was not there on spot, while the details showing the managing skill & expertise of Shaukat Aziz as a leading banker, on behalf of Asif Zardari, you may check the whole document on this link:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_senate_hearings&docid=f:61699.wais

Meanwhile, the excerpts of detail are being mentioned hereunder for our kind info, related to an interesting document, "List of meetings between Mr. Zardari and Citibank personnel, provided by Citibank," being document "h" of a list of "Documents relating to Asif Ali Zardari" appended to the Report.

As part of its investigation, the subcommittee asked Citibank to provide a written record of meetings held between Citibank officials and four high profile Citibank account holders, including Mr. Asif Ali Zardari. Unlike the other cases, in which the names of relatively low level Citibank private banking group staff emerges in the records provided, the names of Citibank staff involved in the case of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari consists of men who have gone on to play a prominent role in Pakistan:

Shaukat Aziz, Until recently Prime Minister of Pakistan
Shaukat Tarin, Chairman, Board of Directors, Karachi Stock Exchange
Sajjad Rizvi
Nadeem Hussain, CEO, Tameer Bank & President, Tameer Foundation

The statement provided by Citibank lists date, participants, location, and summary of contacts between Citibank staff and the Bhuttos. This statement is reproduced below, interspersed with important events in the more detailed Asif Zardari case summary [see here] provided in the House Sub-Committee Report, inserted chronologically:


[START]
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Exhibit # 31h.

Meetings, Events, or Functions at which Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, or Both Were Present

Date: Late January/Early February 1994
Participants: William Rhodes, Shaukat Aziz, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, and others
Location: Davos, Switzerland
Summary: William Rhodes and Shaukat Aziz attend Davos economic conference. During conference, they are guests at a dinner hosted by Benazir Bhutto and attended by approximately 150 others.

Date: February 1994
Participants: John Reed, Paul Collins, Shaukat Tarin, Benazir Bhutto, and Asif Ali Zardari
Location: Islamabad
Summary: Discussion of Pakistani and world affairs

Date: August 1994
Participants: Sajjad Rizvi, Paul Collins, Shaukat Tarin, Benazir Bhutto, and others
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: General courtesy call, discussion of Citibank, macroeconomics and socio-political issues.

[Oct 1994 Mr. Zardari's relationship with Citibank begins, with an account opened for Capricorn Trading, S.A. a British Virgin Island company, reportedly "through the services of Kamran Amouzegar, a private banker at Citibank private bank in Switzerland, and Jens Schlegelmilch, a Swiss lawyer who was the Bhutto family's attorney in Europe and close personal friend for more than 20 years."]

[5-6 Oct 1994 ARY International Exchange, a Dubai company owned by Abdul Razzak Yakub, alleged to have been given a gold import monopoly by Benazir Bhutto, deposits $5 million into the Capricorn Trading account on 5 Oct 1994; and another $5 million on 6 October 1994.]

Date: December 1994
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's economics advisor, Pkistani ambassador to Washington and others
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: Discussion of Pakistani economy during a dinner meeting

[25 Feb 1994 A 3rd deposit, this time of $8 million, is made to the Capricorn trading account. Citibank says it does not know the source of this deposit.]

[27 Feb 1995 "Mr. Schlegelmilch, working with Mr. Amouzegar, opened three accounts at the Citibank Switzerland private bank. The accounts were opened in the name of M.S. Capricorn Trading, which already had an account at Citibank's Dubai branch, aswell as Marvel and Bomer Finance, two other British Virgin Island PICs established by Mr. Schlegelmilch, according to Citibank. Each private bank account listed Mr. Schlegelmilch as the account contact and signatory. Citibank informed the Subcommittee that the Swiss Form A, a government-required beneficial owner identification form, identified Mr. Zardari as the beneficial owner of each PIC."

[6 March 1995 $8.1 million, routed through Citibank, NY, transferred from Dubai to Swiss account.]

Date: March 7-10, 1995
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, William Rhodes, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and others
Location: Singapore
Summary: During a state visit to Singapore by Benazir Bhutto, William Rhodes and Shaukat Aziz meet with Benazir Bhutto and her advisors in Benazir Bhutto's hotel suite to discuss the Pakistani economy. At several official events
during this state visit, Shaukat Aziz exchanges greetings with Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari

Date: March 7-10, 1995
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, William Rhodes, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and others
Location: Singapore, Dinner hosted by the Pakistani Ambassador
Summary: Shaukat Aziz exchanges greetings with Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. Benazir Bhutto's economic advisor asked Benazir Bhutto if she had ever visited Shaukat Aziz's home in Singapore. She replied that she has never been invited. Shaukat Aziz stated that the Prime Minister was welcome.

Date: March 7-10, 1995
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Shaukat Aziz's wife, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, protocol chiefs for Pakistan and Singapore, the Pakistani Ambassador, and numerous aides and security officials
Location: Shaukat Aziz's home in Singapore
Summary: During state visit to Singapore Benazir Bhutto makes a surprise visit to Shaukat Aziz's home. The Benazir Bhutto party remains for approximately one hour.

[5 May 1995 $10.2 million, routed through Citibank, NY, transferred from Dubai to Swiss account. Shortly thereafter, Capricorn Trading's Dubai account was closed. "Citibank has indicated that significant amounts of other funds were also deposited into the Swiss accounts. As described below, the $40 million cap was reached, and millions of additional dollars also passed through those accounts. However, Swiss bank secrecy law has prevented the Subcommittee from obtaining the details on the transactions in the Zardari accounts."]

Date: July 1995
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and others
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Summary: Shaukat Aziz exchanges greetings with Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto at a lunch given by Malaysian foreign minister in connection with benazir Bhutto's state visit to Malaysia. Shaukat Aziz may also have exchanged greetings with Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari at other events during the visit.

Date: Sometime during Benazir Bhutto's second term as Prime Minister
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Shaukat Tarin, Asif Ali Zardari and others
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: Shaukat Aziz, Shaukat Tarin meet, perhaps on two different occasions, with Asif Ali Zardari and his aides for informal discussions about the Pakistani economy.

Date: September or October 1995
Participants: Sajjad Rizvi, Paul Collins, Shaukat Tarin, Benazir Bhutto and others
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: General courtesy call, discussion of Citibank, macroeconomics and socio-political issues.

Date: December 1995
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Paul Collins, Asif Ali Zardari and 1,500 others
Location: Karachi
Summary: Asif Ali Zardari is a guest at the wedding of Shaukat Aziz's daughter

Date: During Benazir Bhutto's second terms as prime minister
Participants: Shaukat Aziz and representatives of various banks
Location: Karachi
Summary: Asif Ali Zardari arrives at the end of dinner gathering of bank representatives in Karachi

Date: Late in Benazir Bhutto's second terms as prime minister
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Benazir Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto's Finance Secretary and other economic advisors
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: Discussion of Pakistani economy

Date: February 1996
Participants: Nadeem Hussain, Shaukat Tarin, Asif Ali Zardari and Javed Pasha
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: Courtesy meeting to introduce Hussain as Citibank's new consumer bank head in Pakistan

Date: March 1996
Participants: Sajjad Rizvi, possibly Shaukat Tarin, Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto and others
Location: Prime Minister's Residence, Islamabad
Summary: Courtesy call with Lady Thatcher, whose speaking tour was sponsored by Citibank.

[Mar/Apr 1996 "Mr. Amouzegar asked that the overall limit on the Zardari accounts be increased from $40 million to $60 million, apparently because the accounts had reached the previously imposed limit of $40 million. Citibank told the Subcommittee staff that Mr. Holderbeke considered the request, but declined to increase the $40 million limit.]

[June 1996 UK press reports that Mr. Zardari had purchased real estate in London. Citibank claims that an internal review was done, but Mr. Schlegelmilch allegedly indicated the funds had come from the sale of some sugar mills and were legitimate," which Citibank accepted.]

Date: August 1996
Participants: Paul Collins, Citibank Country Corporate Officer for Pakistan and Benazir Bhutto
Location: Probably Islamabad
Summary: Discussion regarding Citibank, the Pakistani economy, and regional economic and political developments.

Date: Fall 1996
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Benazir Bhutto, Nusrat Bhutto, Sanam Bhutto, Dr. Bunyad Haider and others
Location: Waldorf Astoria, New York City
Summary: Discussion of Pakistani economy. Shaukat Aziz expressed condolences regarding the death of Benazir Bhutto's brother. Following this meeting, Shaukat Aziz,
Benazir Bhutto and 20 others have dinner at the hotel.

[Nov 1996 Zardari arrested, for the second time, on charges of corruption.]

[Jan 1997 Citibank closed the Zardari accounts.
8 Sep 1997 Swiss government issued orders freezing the Zardari and Bhutto accounts at Citibank and three other banks in Switzerland, at the request of the Pakistani government.]

[5 Dec 1997 Citibank prepared a Suspicious Activity Report on the Zardari accounts and filed it with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at the U.S. Department of Treasury.]

Date: 1998
Participants: Shaukat Aziz, Shaukat Aziz's wife, Benazir Bhutto, Dr. Bunyad Haider and his wife and several other couples
Location: The Haider's New Jersey home
Summary: Meeting among Pakistanis in the New York area and Benazir Bhutto
[END]

NOTE: Anha.......:undecided:..This is exploring the long last friendship and also describing the situation......that, despite of critical chanting against corruption and worst economical policy during Musharaf-Shaukat Aziz ruling tenure, why PPP didn't call Formar PM for explainations before parliment (as once they already promise to call him) neither show any further intentions to bother their old friend / one of money laundering managers the former PM.:smokin: "Zaradri Is familier as Yaroon ka yaar":lol:
 

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