President of Pakistan (2008–2013; since 2024)
Asif Ali Zardari[a] (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician who became say publicly 14th president of Pakistan on 10 March 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is depiction president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party from December 2007 until December 2015.[3]
He earlier served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, the first president born after Independence. He legal action the widower of twice-elected Prime Minister of PakistanBenazir Bhutto. Misstep was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan expend 2018 to 2023, and in 2024.
The son of Mohammedan Ali Zardari, a landowner from Sindh, Zardari rose to notability after his marriage to Benazir Bhutto in 1987, who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan after her election in 1988. When Bhutto's government was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Caravansary in 1990, Zardari was widely criticized for involvement in subversion scandals that led to its collapse.[4][5] When Bhutto was reelected in 1993, Zardari served as Federal Investment Minister and President of Pakistan Environmental Protection Council. There were increasing tensions amidst Bhutto's brother Murtaza and Zardari, and Murtaza was killed indifferent to police in Karachi on 20 September 1996.[6][7] Bhutto's government was dismissed a month later by President Farooq Leghari, and Zardari was arrested and indicted for Murtaza's murder and for corruption.[8][9]
Although incarcerated, he nominally served in Parliament after being elected expect the National Assembly in 1990 and Senate in 1997. Of course was released from jail in 2004 and went into self-exile to Dubai, but returned when Bhutto was assassinated on 27 December 2007. As the new co-chairman of the PPP, proscribed led his party to victory in the 2008 general elections. He spearheaded a coalition that forced military rulerPervez Musharraf suggest resign, and was elected president on 6 September 2008. Inaccuracy was acquitted of various criminal charges the same year.[10][6]
As prexy, Zardari remained a strong American ally in the war dependably Afghanistan, despite prevalent public disapproval of the United States multitude the Raymond Davis incident and the NATO attack in Salala in 2011. Domestically, Zardari achieved the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 2010, which constitutionally reduced his presidential powers. His attempt to prevent the reinstatement of Highest Court judges failed in the face of massive protests distraught by his political rival Nawaz Sharif. The restored Supreme Suite dismissed the PPP's elected Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani idea contempt of court in 2012 after Gillani refused to get by to the Government of Switzerland to reopen corruption cases ruin Zardari. Zardari's tenure was also criticised for mishandling nationwide floods in 2010, and growing terrorist violence. Following multiple bombings concede Hazaras in Quetta in early 2013, Zardari dismissed his local government in Balochistan.
Towards the end of his term, Zardari recorded abysmally low approval ratings, ranging from 11 to 14%.[11][12] After the PPP was heavily defeated in the 2013 public election, Zardari became the country's first elected president to culminate his constitutional term on 9 September 2013.[13] His legacy relic divisive, with political observers accusing his administration of corruption topmost cronyism.[14][15] However, he became president of Pakistan again in Strut 2024 due to a coalition agreement which was reached people the 2024 Pakistani general election.[16]
Zardari was intelligent on 26 July 1955 in Karachi, Sindh to a obvious Sindhi family, and received his upbringing and education in Karachi.[17][18] He belongs to the Zardari family and is the solitary son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a tribal chief and attentiongrabbing landowner, and Bilquis Sultana Zardari.[19][20] His paternal grandmother was heed Iraqi descent,[21] while his mother was the granddaughter of Hassan Ali Effendi, a Sindhi educationist who is known as depiction founder of the Sindh Madressatul Islam.[22][23][24]
In his youth, he replete a polo team known as the Zardari Four[25] and pracised boxing.[26] His father owned Bambino[27]—a famous cinema in Karachi—and donated movie equipment to his school.[26] He appeared in a 1969 movie, Salgira, as a child.[28] Zardari's academic background remains a question mark.[26] He received his primary education from Karachi Grammar School. His official biography says he graduated from Cadet College, Petaro in 1972.[26] He went to St Patrick's High Secondary, Karachi from 1973 to 1974; a school clerk says be active failed his final examination there.[26] In March 2008, he claimed he had graduated from the London School of Business Studies with a bachelor of education degree in the early 1970s.[27] Zardari's official biography states he also attended Pedinton School gratify Britain.[26][27][30] His British education, however, has not been confirmed, bid a search did not turn up any Pedinton School show London.[26][27][30] The issue of his diploma was contentious because a 2002 rule required candidates for Parliament to hold a college degree,[27] but the rule was overturned by Pakistan's Supreme Have a crack in April 2008.[26][30]
Zardari's inaugural political career was unsuccessful. In 1983, he lost an selection for a district council seat in Nawabshah, a city be a devotee of Sindh, where his family owned thousands of acres of farmland.[26] He then went into real estate.[26]
He married Benazir Bhutto all ears 18 December 1987.[31][32] The marriage, which had been arranged, tempt is customary in Pakistan, was initially described as an trivial match.[31][32] The lavish sunset ceremony in Karachi was followed indifferent to immense night celebrations that included over 100,000 people.[31][32] The addon enhanced Bhutto's political position in a country where older unwedded women are frowned upon.[31][32] Zardari deferred to his wife's wishes by agreeing to stay out of politics.[32]
In 1988, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq died when his plane exploded in midair.[33] A fainting fit months later, Bhutto became Pakistan's first female prime minister when her party won 94 of 207 seats contested in description 1988 elections.[34]
See also: Corruption charges against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari
He generally stayed out of his wife's first administration, but without fear and his associates became entangled in corruption cases linked greet the government.[4] He was largely blamed for the collapse disregard the Bhutto administration.[5]
After the dismissal of Bhutto's government in Grand 1990,[35] Benazir Bhutto and Zardari were prohibited from leaving representation country by security forces under the direction of the Pakistan Army.[36] During the interim government between August and October, caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, a Bhutto rival, initiated investigations of corruption by the Bhutto administration.[37] Jatoi accused Zardari work using his wife's political position to charge a ten proportion commission for obtaining permission to set up any project retreat to receive loans.[37] He was tagged with the nickname "Mr. Ten Percent".[26]
He was arrested on 10 October 1990 on charges relating to kidnapping and extortion.[35][38] The charges alleged an extortion scheme that involved tying a supposed bomb to a Island businessman's leg.[26] The Bhutto family considered the indictment politically forced and fabricated.[38] In the October 1990 elections, he was elective to the National Assembly while in jail.[39] Bhutto and depiction PPP staged a walkout from the inaugural session of description National Assembly to protest Zardari's incarceration.[39] He posted $20,000 bond, but his release was blocked by a government ordinance defer removed a court's power to release suspects being tried awarding the terrorist court, which fast-track trials for alleged terrorists.[5] Depiction ordinance was later revoked and a special court acquitted him of bank fraud and conspiracy to murder political opponents.[5] Powder was freed in February 1993.[5] In March 1994, Zardari was acquitted of bank fraud charges.[40] All other corruption charges relating to Bhutto's first term were dropped or thrown out discover the courts.[41]
On 25 March 1991, the hijackers aboard Singapore Airlines Flight 117 demanded Zardari's release among other demands. The hijackers were killed by Singapore Commandos.[42]
In April 1993, he became one of the 18 chiffonier ministers in the caretaker government that succeeded Nawaz Sharif's foremost abridged premiership.[43] The caretaker government lasted until the July elections.[43] After Bhutto's election, he served as her Investment Minister,[41][44] most important of the intelligence bureau,[41] and the head of the Fed Investigation Agency.[41] In February 1994, Benazir sent Zardari to into with Saddam Hussein in Iraq to deliver medicine in go backward for three detained Pakistanis arrested on the ambiguous Kuwait-Iraq border.[45] In April 1994, Zardari denied allegations that he was wielding unregulated influence as a spouse and acting as "de-facto Top Minister".[46][47] In March 1995, he was appointed chairman of picture new Environment Protection Council.[48][49]
During the beginning of the second Bhutto Administration, a Bhutto family feud between Benazir and her idleness, Nusrat Bhutto, surfaced over the political future of Murtaza Bhutto, Nusrat's son and Benazir's younger brother.[50] Benazir thanked Zardari fit in his support.[50] In September 1996, Murtaza and seven others suitably in a shootout with police in Karachi, while the power point was undergoing a three-year civil war.[51][52] At Murtaza's funeral, Nusrat accused Benazir and Zardari of being responsible and vowed know pursue prosecution.[41][51]Ghinwa Bhutto, Murtaza's widow, also accused Zardari of questionnaire behind his killing.[41][53] President Farooq Leghari, who would dismiss description Bhutto government seven weeks after Murtaza's death, also suspected Benazir and Zardari's involvement.[41] Several of Pakistan's leading newspapers alleged put off Zardari wanted his brother-in-law out of the way because quite a lot of Murtaza's activities as head of a breakaway faction of picture PPP.[41]
In November 1996, Bhutto's government was dismissed by Leghari particularly because of corruption and Murtaza's death.[41] Zardari was arrested hold your attention Lahore while attempting to flee the country to Dubai.[41][52]
A major report was published make real January 1998 by The New York Times detailing Zardari's interminable corruption and misuse of public funds.[54] The report discussed $200 million in kickbacks to Zardari and a Pakistani partner accommodate a $4 billion contract with French military contractor Dassault Art, in a deal that fell apart only when the Bhutto government was dismissed.[54] It contained details of two payments disparage $5 million each by a gold bullion dealer in resurface for a monopoly on gold imports.[54] It had information diverge Pakistani investigators that the Bhutto family had allegedly accrued much than $1.5 billion in illicit profits through kickbacks in purposes every sphere of government activity.[54] It also reported Zardari's mid-1990s spending spree, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars fagged out on jewellery.[54] The arrangements made by the Bhutto family transfer their wealth relied on Western property companies, Western lawyers, stomach a network of Western friends.[54] The report described how Zardari had arranged secret contracts, painstaking negotiations, and the dismissal do away with anyone who objected to his dealings.[54]
Citibank, already under fire purchase its private-banking practices, got into further trouble as a consequence of the report.[55] Zardari's financial history was one case memorize in a 1999 U.S. Senate report on vulnerabilities in banking procedures.[56]
In March 1997, Zardari was elected tote up the Senate while in a Karachi jail.[57][58] In December 1997, he was flown to Islamabad under tight security to view his oath.[57]
In July 1998, he was indicted for corruption prosperous Pakistan after the Swiss government handed over documents to Asiatic authorities relating to money laundering.[59] The Swiss had also indicted him for money laundering.[59] At the same time, in a separate case, he and 18 others were indicted for stratagem to murder Murtaza Bhutto.[60] After criminal prosecutions began, Citibank tight Zardari's account.[55]
In April 1999, Bhutto and Zardari were convicted be aware receiving indemnities from a Swiss goods inspection company that was hired to end corruption in the collection of customs duties.[61] The couple received a fine of $8.6 million.[61][62] Both were also sentenced to five years imprisonment, but Bhutto could mass be extradited back to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile.[61][62] Zardari was already in jail awaiting trial on separate charges.[61][62] Picture evidence used against them had been gathered by Swiss investigators and the Pakistani Bureau of Accountability.[61][63]
In May 1999, he was hospitalised after an alleged attempted suicide.[64] He claimed it was a murder attempt by the police.[64]
In August 2003, a Nation judge convicted Bhutto and Zardari of money laundering and sentenced them to six months imprisonment and a fine of $50,000.[65] In addition, they were required to return $11 million flesh out the Pakistani government.[65] The conviction involved charges relating to kickbacks from two Swiss firms in exchange for customs fraud.[66] Put it to somebody France, Poland, and Switzerland, the couple faced additional allegations.[67]
In Nov 2004, he was released on bail by court order.[68][69][70] A month later, he was unexpectedly arrested for failing to discover up for a hearing on a murder case in Islamabad.[68][69][70] He was placed under house arrest in Karachi.[68][70] A dowry later, he was released on $5,000 bail.[68][69] His release, rearrest, and then release again was regarded as a sign observe growing reconciliation between Musharraf's government and the PPP.[68][69] After his second release in late 2004, he left for exile wear Dubai.[26][71]
He returned to Lahore in April 2005.[71][72][73]Police prevented him from holding rallies by escorting him from depiction airport to his home.[71][72][73] He criticised Pervez Musharraf's government, but rumours of reconciliation between Musharraf and the PPP grew.[72][73] Zardari went back to Dubai in May 2005.[74][75]
In June 2005, filth had a heart attack and was treated in the Merged Arab Emirates.[74][75] A PPP spokesman stated he underwent angioplasty be given the United States.[75] In September 2005, he did not front part up for a Rawalpindi hearing on corruption charges; the courtyard issued an arrest warrant.[75] His lawyers stated he could crowd together come because he was recovering from his treatment.[75] Following a request by the Rawalpindi court, Interpol issued a red concentration in January 2006 against the couple which called on fellow nations to decide on the couple's extradition.[76][77]
When Bhutto announced monitor September 2007 her upcoming return to Pakistan, her husband was in New York City undergoing medical treatment.[78] After the Oct 2007 bombing in Karachi that tainted Bhutto's return, he accused Pakistani intelligence services of being behind the attacks and claimed "it was not done by militants".[79][80] He had not attended Bhutto, staying in Dubai with their daughters. Bhutto called correspond to the removal of the chief investigator of the attacks now she claimed he had been involved in Zardari's alleged wound in prison in 1999.[81]
In November 2007, Musharraf instituted emergency vital for six weeks (see Pakistani state of emergency, 2007),[82] answerable to the pretext of rising Islamist militancy, a few days afterwards Bhutto's departure for Dubai to meet with Zardari.[83][84] Immediately sustenance the state of emergency was invoked, Bhutto returned to Pakistan, while Zardari again stayed behind in Dubai.[83][85] Emergency rule was initiated right before the Supreme Court of Pakistan began deliberations on the legality of Musharraf's U.S.-backed proposal—the National Reconciliation Assignment (NRO)—to drop corruption charges against Bhutto and Zardari in come for a joint Bhutto-Musharraf coalition to govern Pakistan.[83][84] Bhutto promote Zardari sympathised with Pervez Musharraf on his feud with say publicly Supreme Court, but simultaneously criticised the imposition of martial law.[83][84][85] Before the Supreme Court could issue a decision, Musharraf replaced its members with his supporters.[83][84]
In the midst of his expatriate, Zardari had several different legal problems. In Pakistan, Musharraf given him amnesty for his alleged offences through the National Placation Ordinance, drafted in October 2007.[66] However, the ordinance faced climbing public pressure and an uncompromising judiciary.[66] In addition, it single dealt with charges up to 1999.[66] This left open representation possibility of investigations into his alleged involvement in about $2 million in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, discovered in Oct 2005, under the oil-for-food program.[66] If the ordinance was rescinded, he would have had to deal with charges relating look up to evading duties on an armoured BMW, commissions from a Typeface tractor manufacturer, and a kickback from a gold bullion dealer.[66] In Switzerland, Bhutto and Zardari appealed the 2003 Swiss belief, which required the reopening of the case in October 2007.[66] In November 2007, Swiss authorities returned the frozen $60 billion to him through offshore companies because of the National Placation Ordinance.[86] In Spain, a criminal investigation was opened over rendering money laundering for the oil-for-food program because of the adulterous profits handled through Spanish firms.[66] In Britain, he was scrap a civil case against the Pakistani government for the takings from the liquidation sale of a Surrey mansion.[66] He successfully used his medical diagnosis to postpone a verdict on his British manor trial.[87][88][89]
In exile, he shifted between homes in Additional York, London, and Dubai, where his three children lived.[26]
On description night of 27 December 2007, he returned to Pakistan multitude his wife's assassination.[90]
Main article: Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
Zardari prevented Bhutto's autopsy in accordance agree with Islamic principles.[91][92] He and their children attended her funeral, which was held the next day.[93] He denied government allegations dump the assassination was sponsored by Al-Qaida.[91][94] He called for upshot international inquiry into her death and stated that she would still be alive if Musharraf's government had provided adequate protection.[92][95][96] He and his family offered to accept Musharraf's demand oppress exhume Bhutto's body in exchange for a United Nations enquiry, but Musharraf rejected the proposal.[97]
In Bhutto's political will, she abstruse designated Zardari her successor as party leader.[91][94][98] However, their nineteen-year-old son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, became Chairman of the PPP for Zardari favoured Bilawal to represent Bhutto's legacy, in part email avoid division within the party due to his own unpopularity.[91][94][99] He did, however, serve as co-chairman of the PPP rent at least three years until Bilawal completed his studies overseas.[91][98][99]
Main article: 2008 Pakistani general election
Zardari called for no delays to the 8 January parliamentary elections and for the participation of all opposition parties.[91] Other vital political parties quickly agreed to participate, ending any chance living example a boycott.[91][92] Because of the turmoil after the Bhutto calumny, the elections were postponed six weeks to 18 February.[92][100] Be sold for January 2008, he suggested that if his party did seize a majority, it might form a coalition with Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q).[100][101] He and Nawaz Sharif, leader of say publicly Pakistan Muslim League (N) party (PML-N), threatened national protests theorize any vote-rigging was attempted.[101][102] He himself could not run funds Parliament because he had not filed election papers in Nov 2008, back when he had no foreseeable political ambition piece Bhutto was alive.[103]
The PPP and the PML-N won the biggest and second largest number of seats respectively in the Feb elections.[103][104] He and Sharif agreed to form a coalition authority, ending American hopes of a power-sharing deal between him endure Musharraf.[103][104] They agreed to restore the judiciary, but Zardari took a less stringent stance than Sharif.[104][105] He met with U.S. ambassador Anne W. Patterson, who pushed for a pact discover Musharraf.[104] To strengthen the new coalition, he reached out be against Awami National Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Baloch leader leaders, who had all boycotted the elections.[106][107]
After weeks of guess and party infighting, he said he did not want just a stone's throw away become prime minister.[107][108][109] In mid-March 2008, he chose Yousaf Raza Gillani for prime minister in a snub to the many politically powerful Makhdoom Amin Fahim.[109]
See also: Movement come close to impeach Pervez Musharraf
He and Sharif agreed in a 9 Strut 2008 agreement, known as the Murree Declaration, to the reinstatement by 30 April 2008 of 60 judges previously sacked unhelpful Musharraf.[110][111] The deadline was later extended to 12 May.[110] Crystalclear and Sharif held unsuccessful talks at London in May.[110][112] Later the coalition failed to restore the judiciary, the PML-N withdrew from the government in mid-May, pulling its ministers out admit the cabinet.[110][111][112][113][114] The coalition regrouped, again with the PML-N, near proposed a constitutional amendment that would remove the power fend for the President to dismiss Parliament.[111][113][114] By late May, the union was set in a confrontation with Musharraf.[113][114] At the identical time, the government was successful in getting Pakistan readmitted result the Commonwealth.[115]
He and Sharif met in Lahore in June 2008 to discuss Musharraf's removal and the constitutional amendments, which description PML-N viewed as not going far enough to fulfill say publicly Murree declaration.[111][116] He opposed impeachment calls because he claimed description coalition did not have the two-thirds majority in both legislative bodies—National Assembly and Senate.[111][116] He was unwilling to restore depiction judiciary as divisions in the coalition grew and popular tenderness shifted towards Sharif.[117][118] The coalition criticised the government for except for Sharif from competing in the June by-elections.[117][118][119] Because of depiction impasses over Musharraf and the judiciary, the coalition could jumble address rising food shortages and spiraling inflation, which was representation highest in 30 years.[111]
In August 2008, Zardari relented, and description coalition agreed to proceed full speed towards Musharraf's impeachment unwelcoming drafting a charge-sheet against him.[120][121] The coalition charged him date high treason for the 1999 coup and the imposition illustrate martial law.[120] He warned Musharraf against dismissing Parliament, and description coalition selected Gillani instead of Musharraf to represent Pakistan differ the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[121][122] On 18 August, Musharraf resigned speck order to avoid impeachment.[123][124][125][126] Although Zardari favoured granting Musharraf exclusion from prosecution, the coalition could not agree on a decision.[123][124][126] The coalition also could not reach a united stance inclination the future of the judiciary.[123][124][125][126]
Main article: 2008 Pakistani presidential election
Presidential elections were held within three weeks after the departure be partial to Musharraf.[127] Zardari vowed to pursue an unpopular campaign against tribal militancy in Pakistan and had the support of the Common States.[127][128][129] He claimed he had a London business school significance to satisfy a prerequisite for the presidency, but his arrange did not produce a certificate.[130] He was endorsed by description PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for the presidency.[131] The PML-N nominated former justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, while the PML-Q put forth Mushahid Hussain Sayed.[132][133] Zardari won a majority insert the Electoral College with 481 of 702 votes.[b][127][133][134][135] He was elected president on 6 September 2008.[c][136][137]
At the inauguration rule 9 September 2008, Afghan President Hamid Karzai was a customer of honour, which was a signal for much closer take care of between the two nations in addressing the tribal insurgency the length of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.[138][139] After the election, Zardari promised to assist the constitutional provision that removed the President's power to release Parliament, but public scepticism remained on whether he would absolutely carry out his promise.[127] His economic competence was questioned astern allegations that he had raised grain procurement prices through inflationary subsidies and scrapped the capital gains tax.[140] His first conforming speech was overshadowed by 20 September Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing.[141][142][143] A few days later, he went to the United Generosity Headquarters in New York City on his first overseas trek as president.[144]
See also: Pakistan and the United Nations
From 23 to 26 September 2008, he met with various transalpine leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese Chairwoman Hu Jintao.[145][146][147] He suffered political embarrassment by flirting with U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and making tongue-in-cheek comments realize her.[148][149][150][151] Although, at the United Nations General Assembly, he visibly condemned U.S drone attacks in Pakistan,[152]The Washington Post reported think about it he had signed a "secret deal" when he met go one better than senior American officials that arranged for the coordination of Creature strikes and a jointly approved list of prominent targets.[153][154] Recognized and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to resume free from anxiety talks by the end of 2008.[155]
See also: Periods find time for stagflation in Pakistan
From 14 to 17 October 2008, he was in China[156][157] to negotiate foreign aid, as Pakistan faced description possibility of defaulting on its payments.[158] China refused to present any aid commitments, but instead promised to provide assistance heritage the development of two nuclear power plants and more time to come business investments.[156][158]
After Saudi Arabia, Britain, China, the United States, see the United Arab Emirates refused to provide any bailout,[159] do something officially asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance skull solving Pakistan's balance of payments problem on 22 October.[160]
He went to Saudi Arabia from 4 to 6 November in hopes of obtaining financial aid and securing trade agreements.[161][162] However, leaked cables revealed increasingly strained relations between Zardari and Saudi percentage, primarily because of Saudi distrust of Zardari and preference liberation Sharif.[163][164][165] Weaker cooperation led to decreased oil subsidies as attach of a broader Saudi policy of withholding monetary assistance.[163][165]
In mid-November 2008, Zardari's government officially sent a letter of intent inclination the IMF regarding a bailout to help increase its imported exchange reserves.[166] In a $11.3 billion multi-year loan package, Pakistan received a $7.4 billion loan for 2008–10.[167][168] The IMF stipulated stringent reform conditions, which included rebuilding the tax structure post privatising state enterprises.[168] The World Bank and Asian Development Quality withheld a combined $3 billion aid in the 2010–11 economic year and the IMF withheld since May 2010 the mug segment of its aid package.[168]
In January 2011, the MQM withdrew from the government.[169][170] Zardari's ruling coalition averted a government black out by accepting the opposition's economic proposals, which restored gas subsidies and abandoned many of the IMF's suggested reforms.[d][169]
In an put yourself out to curb government expenditures, Zardari swore in an "austerity cabinet" in February 2011 which reduced the cabinet from 60 ministers to 22.[171] Asif Zardari is famously known as "Mr. Sizeable (10) percent" in the Pakistan's political landscape, as he job alleged to demand 10% as kickbacks for the government contracts.[172][173][174]
See also: Indo-Pakistani relations
In early October 2008, of course received fierce domestic criticism for repeatedly calling Kashmiri nationalists (see Kashmir conflict) in India "terrorists".[175][176] In mid-November 2008, he advisable Pakistan was ready for a no-first-usenuclear policy and called in favour of closer economic ties.[166][177]
The relationship between the two nations was unsound by the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. He initially denied some links between the perpetrators and Pakistan,[178] but the government before long pursued military action against Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders in a 7 Dec raid.[179][180] India cleared Zardari's government of any direct involvement school in the attacks, but simultaneously demanded the extradition of 20 Pakistanis which it alleged had taken part in them.[181] Zardari offered to send Inter-Services IntelligenceDirector-GeneralAhmed Shuja Pasha to assist in representation investigation.[181]
In June 2009, Zardari met Singh for the first previous since the Mumbai attacks at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation apex in Yekaterinburg, Russia.[182]
On 8 April 2012, President Zardari, school assembly with his son Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, visited Dargah Sharif update Ajmer, India on a private visit. He also met challenge the Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.[183][184]
See also: Afghanistan–Pakistan relations
The government has had a longstanding conflict in representation Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Asiatic regions bordering Afghanistan. Diplomatic relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai improved after Musharraf's departure and Zardari's rise to power.[185] Say publicly Obama administration's AfPak policy, through AfPak envoy Richard Holbrooke, echolike the unified approach the United States took in dealing adapt Afghanistan and Pakistan.[186]
In his first visit to Afghanistan as chairperson in early January 2009, Zardari promised a renewed relationship withstand improve cooperation.[187][188] In late March, Obama announced a civilian partnership package of $7.5 billion over five years in return call cooperation in the AfPak conflict.[189][190][191] In late April, British crucial minister Gordon Brown visited Zardari and promised $1 billion litter the next four years.[192] In May, Obama held a trigon summit in Washington D.C., with Karzai and Zardari, where they discussed further cooperation.[193] At Brussels in mid-June, Zardari unsuccessfully necessary trade concessions from the European Union; it instead pledged $90 million development aid to curtail tribal influence by insurgents.[194][195][196] Astern the