President Asif Ali Zardari has proved to be the most skilful politician and tactician in Pakistans recent history to complete his grip on all state institutions in just one year as his under-rated choice for high office of Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naek was elected unopposed by the 100-member upper house of the parliament on Thursday.
Political observers recall that just 15 months ago, Zardari was an outsider in Pakistans political arena which was dominated by two former Prime Ministers and old rivals Benazir Bhutto and Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. Both had joined hands to contest the 2008 general elections against military dictator General Pervez Mushrrafs party Pakistan Muslim League (Q) led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Tragic death of Benazir Bhutto on 27th December 2007 in Rawalpindi brought Zardari to Pakistan from Abu Dhabi where he was looking after his children in absence of his spouse to lead the Pakistan Peoples Party and complete the assassinated leaders mission of restoration of democracy after nine years military rule.
PPP got the sympathy vote of the people and it did moderately well in the general elections with sufficient seats in the National and four provincial assemblies to form coalition governments at the centre and in the provinces.
Soft spoken Senior Vice President and close confidante of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, Makhdoom Amin Fahim was considered the natural choice to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan as he had most steadfastly led the party during Benazirs eleven years exile. Even before the general elections, Zardari had publicly stated Makhdoom Saheb would be the next Prime Minister of the country.
But when the defining movement came, Zardari backed out and left his party men guessing for several days who would be his choice for the coveted office. Zardari picked up an outsider from Punjab Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to sit on the Prime Ministers chair which was once occupied by the PPP founder Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his talented and charismatic daughter Benazir Bhutto twice. The National Assembly unanimously elected Gilani as Prime Minister, for which all credit goes to Zardari.
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