World | Pakistan
Zardari front-runner as Musharraf succesor
Ruling party proposes Asif Ali Zardari as the next president as poll panel announces elections would be held on September 6.
- By Shahid Hussain, Correspondent
- Published: 23:51 August 22, 2008
- Pakistan's main ruling party on Friday proposed Asif Ali Zardari as the country's next president
- Image Credit: EPA
Islamabad: Pakistan's main ruling party on Friday proposed Asif Ali Zardari as the country's next president, as the poll panel announced that elections to choose a successor to Pervez Musharraf would be held on September 6.
The move makes Zardari the clear front-runner for the post. Sherry Rahman, a spokeswoman for the Pakistan Peoples Party, said the backing for Zardari at a meeting of its top decision-making body on Friday was unanimous.
But Nawaz Sharif, head of the second-largest party in the ruling coalition, has suggested that the next president should be from one of the two smallest provinces - Balochistan or North West Frontier.
Also on Friday, the ruling coalition agreed to move a parliamentary resolution this week to restore the dozens of judges deposed by Musharraf last year.
Asif Ali Zardari
The co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and widower of the late Benazir Bhutto is best known for his charismatic personality and negotiation skills.
Zardari's political career is stained with corruption charges. Soon after the late Bhutto's first election victory in 1988, Zardari became known as "Mr 10 per cent" due to allegations of corruption, which he always denied. Zardari, 51, has spent a total of 11 years in prison, without ever being convicted. He has always maintained that the charges ranging from corruption to murder were politically motivated. Within months after his release, Zardari came to Dubai and tried to go back to Pakistan in 2005 but he was sent back.
After suffering a heart problem in Dubai, he went to the US and stayed in New York for a couple of years before returning to Dubai in 2007 as his wife Bhutto was preparing to go back to Pakistan for elections.
He went to Pakistan after Bhutto's assassination and led the PPP to victory in the general elections. He loves to play golf.
Chronology: Events that led to Musharraf's resignation
- March 9, 2007: Pervez Musharraf suspends Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry over allegations of misconduct. Lawyers rally around the top judge and Musharraf's popularity plummets.
- July 10: Musharraf orders troops to storm the Red Mosque in Islamabad to crush a Taliban-style movement there. At least 105 people are killed. Militant attacks and suicide bombings follow.
- July 20: Supreme Court reinstates Chief Justice Chaudhry, dealing a blow to Musharraf's authority.
- July 27: Musharraf meets former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi for inconclusive talks on how to move the country towards a civilian-led democracy. Bhutto demands Musharraf step down as army chief.
- September 10: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is arrested at Islamabad airport on his arrival from exile, despite the Supreme Court clearing his return. He is deported to Saudi Arabia.
- October 2: Musharraf's government announces it will drop graft charges against Bhutto, clearing the way for her return.
- October 6: Musharraf wins a presidential vote by legislators. Supreme Court holds off confirming legality of vote.
- October 19: Suicide bomber tries to assassinate Bhutto in Karachi as she returns from eight years of exile.
- November 2: Supreme Court meets to decide if Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election while still army chief.
- November 3: Musharraf imposes emergency rule, detaining thousands of opposition politicians and lawyers.
- November 11: Musharraf says parliamentary elections for January 8.
- November 13: Bhutto is placed under house arrest for a week in Lahore, hours before planned march against emergency rule. Bhutto says Musharraf must quit as president.
- November 15: Musharraf appoints Senate chairman Mohammadmian Soomro to head a caretaker line-up to oversee elections.
- November 25: Sharif returns from exile.
- November 28: Musharraf hands command of the army to Ashfaq Kayani.
- November 29: Musharraf is sworn in as civilian leader.
- December 15: Musharraf lifts state of emergency, restores constitution.
- December 27: Bhutto is assassinated in a gun and bomb attack.
- February 18: Resounding election victory for parties led by Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari (Pakistan Peoples Party) and Sharif (Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)).
- March 9: Sharif says he will join Zardari in coalition.
- August 7: Coalition agrees on plan to impeach Musharraf.
- August 16: Ruling coalition prepares impeachment charges against Musharraf.
- August 18: Musharraf resigns after nearly nine years in power.
- August 22: Presidential election announced for September 6.
- Reuters
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