Mr. Asif Ali Zardari was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election on 6 September 2008. Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar administered him the oath of President on 9 September 2008. Born on July 26, 1955 in a prominent Baloch family of Sindh province (Pakistan), he is the son of veteran politician Mr. Hakim Ali Zardari. President Zardari received his primary education at the Karachi Grammar School and secondary education at Cadet College Petaro(Sindh). He pursued his higher education in London where he studied Business.
President Zardari served as member of the National Assembly twice (1990-93 & 1993 -96). He also served as Federal Minister for Environment (1993-96) and as Federal Minister for Investment (1995-96). He was also elected Senator in 1997 and served in that capacity until 1999.
After the assassination of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the Central Executive Committee CEC of the Pakistan Peoples Party elected him unopposed as Chairman of the Party. He however nominated his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for that role and instead accepted the job of Co-Chairman of the party. Since then, he has remained in the frontline of shaping a national consensus at the federal level on the politics of reconciliation initiated by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
