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Asif Ali Zardari Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

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Age: 69 Years
Religion: Islam
Hometown: Karachi

Asif Ali Zardari

Bio/Wiki
Name earnedMr. 10 Percent [1]Chicago Tribune
ProfessionPolitician
Known ForBeing the 11th and 14th President of Pakistan
Physical Stats & More
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourBlack
Politics
PartyPakistan People's Party
Political Journey1983: Contested district council elections in Nawabshah, Pakistan
October 1990: Elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan
March 1997: Elected to the Senate of Pakistan
9 September 2008: Appointed as the 11th President of Pakistan
10 March 2024: Appointed as the 14th President of Pakistan
Awards/Honours2013: Guard of Honour
Personal Life
Date of Birth26 July 1955 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2023)69 Years
BirthplaceKarachi, Federal Capital Territory, Pakistan (now Sindh, Pakistan)
Zodiac signLeo
SignatureSignature of Asif Ali Zardari
NationalityPakistani
HometownKarachi
School• Karachi Grammar School
• Cadet College, Petaro (1972)
• St Patrick's High School, Karachi (1973-1974)
College/UniversityLondon School of Business Studies
Educational QualificationBachelor of Education [2]The New York Times
ReligionIslam [3]The Times of India
SectShia [4]The Times of India
Food HabitNon-Vegetarian [5]India TV
ControversiesArrested for Alleged Kidnapping and Extortion
On 10 October 1990, he was arrested on alleged charges of kidnapping and involvement in an extortion scheme of tying a bomb to the leg of a British businessman. [6]The Wall Street Journal In February 1993, he was released from jail. [7]The New York Times

Arrested for Alleged Involvement in Murder
In September 1996, Benazir Bhutto's brother, Murtaza Bhutto, was killed in a police encounter in Karachi. [8]Google News [9]The New York Times Nusrat Bhutto, Murtaza's mother, and Ghinwa Bhutto, Murtaza's wife, accused Asif Ali Zardari for being reposible for Murtaza's death. [10]Google News [11]The New York Times According to many sources, Asif Ali Zardari was allegedly involved in the killing of his of brother-in-law as Asif wanted Murtaza out of his way. In 1996, he attempted to flee to Dubai; however, he was arrested in Lahore. [12]The New York Times [13]The New York Times

Indicted for Corruption
In July 1998, after Swiss government informed the Pakistani authorities about Asif Ali's money laundering, he was charged of corruption. [14]BBC

Convicted for Receiving Indemnities
In April 1999, after Benazir and Asif received compensation from a Swiss goods inspection company, which was hired to deal with corruption in the collection of customs duties during Benazir Bhutto's second stint as Prime Minister of Pakistan, the couple was sentenced to five years jail and fined $8.6 million. [15]The New York Times

Convicted of Money Laundering
In August 2003, after Benazir and Asif were convicted of money laundering by a Swiss Judge, the couple received a six months imprisonment and was charged with a fine of $50,000. [16]The New York Times

Arrested for not Appearing for a Hearing
A month later after he was released from jail in November 2004, he was arrested for not appearing for a hearing on a murder case in Islamabad, for which he was put under house arrest. On the next day of his arrest, he was released on bail by paying $5000. [17]The New York Times [18]BBC

Rawalpindi Hearing on Corruption Charges
In September 2005, the court issued an arrest warrent against him after he failed to appear for a hearing on corruption charges in Rawalpindi. It was alleged that he could not appear for the hearing as he was going through medical treatment. In January 2006, Interpol issued a red notice against Benazir and Asif on the request of Rawalpindi court. [19]BBC [20]Al Jazeera

Money Laundering Case
In 2019, he was charged with money laundering and arrested in Islamabad. [21]BBC

Corruption Charges
On 10 August 2020, anti-graft court charged him with corruption by issuing an indictment. [22]Bloomberg
Relationships & More
Marital StatusWidower
Marriage Date18 December 1987
Benazir Bhutto and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari
Family
Wife/SpouseBenazir Bhutto (first woman and twice-elected Prime Minister of Pakistan; assasinated on 27 December 2007) [23]BBC
Asif Ali Zardari with Benazir Bhutto
ChildrenSon- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (politician)
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father, Asif Ali Zardari
Daughter- 2
• Bakhtawar Bhutto (public figure and educationist)
• Aseefa Zardari (politician)
Asif Ali Zardari with his children
ParentsFather- Hakim Ali Zardari (politician; died on 24 May 2011)
Hakim Ali Zardari
Mother- Bilquis Sultana (died in November 2002)
SiblingsBrother- None
Sister- Faryal Talpur
Asif Ali Zardari with his sister
Style Quotient
Car CollectionHe has six luxury bulletproof vehicles including Toyota Land Cruisers and BMWs. [24]WION
Expensive Things/ValuablesHorses (Rs 10 million) [25]The Print
Money Factor
Salary (approx.)8,46,550 Pakistani rupees (as the President of Pakistan) [26]ABP News
Assets/PropertiesMovable Assets
• Weapons (Rs 16.6 million) [27]The Print
• Cash (Rs 316.70 million) [28]The Economic Times


Immovable Assets
• Five properties (inherited by his wife, Benazir Bhutto)
• More than a dozen properties in Pakistan (apart from the five properties he inherited from his wife) [29]The Economic Times
• Reportedly, he owns a flour mill and a CNG station in Swat district and Peshawar.
• Thousands of acres of agricultural land. [30]WION
• Some properties in Dubai, France, Britain, Spain, and Florida [31]Business Insider [32]Economic Times
Net Worth (approx.)$1.8 billion (as of 2012) [33]The Guardian

Asif Ali Zardari

Some Lesser Known Facts About Asif Ali Zardari

  • Asif Ali Zardari was born in a Sindhi family. He is a member of the Zardari family. [34]Oxford Reference [35]The Telegraph
  • His father was the owner of one of the famous cinemas in Karachi named Bambino.
  • During his young age, he was a polo and boxing enthusiast. He also headed a polo team named Zardari Four.
  • In 1969, he appeared as a child actor in a Pakistani film titled ‘Salgira.’

    Poster of the 1969 Urdu film 'Salgira'

    Poster of the 1969 Urdu film ‘Salgira’

  • His wife, Benazir Bhutto, was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan.
  • In March 1995, he became the chairman of the new Environment Protection Council.
  • In 1995, he bought a luxury estate in Rockwood, Surrey, England, a 365-acre property with 20 bedrooms. It is one of the most expensive properties, which is reportedly owned by him. For the first eight years, he said that he did not own the estate. [36]The Guardian [37]BBC News Reportedly, the artefacts used by him to decorate the Surrey Palace were stolen from a museum in Pakistan. [38]The Guardian

    Surrrey Palace owned by Asif Ali Zardari

    Surrrey Palace owned by Asif Ali Zardari

  • In March 1997, he sworn in as Senator when he was in jail in Karachi. [39]The New York Times
  • In May 1999, after he allegedly attempted suicide, he was admitted to a hospital; however, he said that the police tried to murder him. [40]BBC
  • He went into exile in Dubai in 2004 and came to Lahore in April 2005. [41]BBC During his exile, he moved between his homes in New York, London, and Dubai. [42]The Wall Street Journal
  • In 2005, he reportedly became the second richest man in Pakistan. According to sources, he earned most of his wealth when his wife was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. [43]The New York Times [44]The New York Times [45]The Economic Times
  • In June 2005, he suffered a heart attack. It was revealed that during his treatment, he went through angioplasty in the United States. [46]BBC News
  • In June 2011, he donated blood during the National Blood Donation Campaign.
  • In December 2011, he went to Dubai for medical treatment after he allegedly suffered a small stroke. [47]The Guardian
  • In June 2013, he donated blood on the 60th birth anniversary of his wife, Benazir Bhutto.

    Asif Ali Zardari while donating blood

    Asif Ali Zardari while donating blood

  • He once revealed that he has diabetes and often suffers from high blood pressure. [48]Financial Times
  • On 8 September 2013, after completing his five-year term as the President of Pakistan, he became the first democratically elected president to complete his tenure in the history of 66 years. [49]Independent [50]The Washington Times
  • He has mentioned many times that when he was in prison, he and his family were tortured. [51]The Guardian Later, he developed multiple mental disorders such as dementia, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder from 2005 to 2007. [52]Financial Times [53]The New York Times
  • He often visits soothsayers and healers for counselling regarding political problems. He has sought advice from the well-known Sufi scholar Prof. Ahmad Rafique Akhtar. [54]The Nation
  • On March 9 March 2024, he was elected as the 14th President of Pakistan. He secured a majority in the 2024 Presidential election defeating opposition candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai by winning 411 electoral votes. [55]Al Jazeera After being elected as the President for the second time, he became the first civilian to achieve this feat.

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