Asif Ali Zardari — Pakistan's master manoeuverer

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and a veteran politician who proved his mettle on multiple fragile occasions for democracy, and national politics, has become the president for the second time.

Among the top politicians of Pakistan, Zardari is popular for reconciliatory politics, and a master manoeuverer who knows how and when to checkmate his political opponents. He has also shown his remarkable skills in making deals with political foes.

After PPP chairwoman and his wife Benazir Bhutto's assassination 17 years ago, Zardari coined the slogan "Pakistan Khapay" — a Sindhi phrase which means “We Want Pakistan” — under which he orchestrated a new political model of the party with emphasis on tolerance, harmony, and reconciliation.

During his stay in office as the 11th president from 2008 to 2013, with the PPP in power at the centre, Zardari played a vital role in restoring the original shape of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.

The politician also dissolved a much-criticised sub-section 2(b) — inserted into Article 58 of the Constitution under the “Eighth Amendment” by military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq in 1985 to hold a tight grip on rulership by granting additional powers to the president to dissolve the National Assembly, making the head of state superior to the prime minister.

As president, he also disbanded many debatable constitutional amendments alongside Article 58 2(b), besides promulgating the 18th Constitutional Amendment which granted autonomy to provinces.

Zardari has also been credited for some crucial constitutional decisions that had been taken into effect which include, the 18th Amendment which grants autonomy to provinces, renaming North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to give an identity to Pashtuns.

He also laid the foundation stone of the Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline project, whereas, during his tenure, Pakistan's relationship with China also strengthened.

The PPP co-chairman also played a vital role in gathering parties under the flag of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a multi-party alliance comprising rival parties of then-ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — in 2020.

Later, the Bilawal-led party and the Awami National Party (ANP) came out of the alliance after developing differences with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), however, the PPP did not fully distance itself from the coalition.

Zardari’s party stood beside the PDM parties in the entire political movement against then-premier Imran Khan, and later, the coalition managed to remove the elected prime minister for the first time in the history of Pakistan through a no-confidence motion in 2022.

The PPP also joined the PDM-led government for 1.5 years after Khan’s ouster.

Sources closer to PPP say that the veteran politician will be focusing on "charter of economy" to counter fiscal hardships of the country, and is willing to establish a truth and reconciliation commission to seek political harmony amongst parties.