Pakistan's former president arrested for money laundering
June 10, 2019
Former President Asif Ali Zardari has been arrested in connection with a high-profile money laundering case. Zardari's opposition Pakistan People's Party said the arrest was politically motivated.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B. K. Bangash
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Pakistan's anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), arrested former President Asif Ali Zardari at his home in Islamabad on Monday in connection with a high-profile money laundering case that saw hundreds of millions of dollars siphoned out of the country.
Zardari and his sister are facing allegations of operating fake bank accounts for money laundering. Both deny these charges against them, and instead accuse the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan of "political victimization," as Shazia Marri, a lawmaker from Zardari's party, put it.
Pakistan's anti-graft body has arrested several politicians and businessmen on corruption charges since Khan took office last year.
Zardari's arrest came after an Islamabad court rejected a bail extension request from Zardari and his sister, who is also implicated in the case but has not yet been arrested.
Last year, Pakistani authorities discovered several accounts flush with cash but in the names of poor people, which were then suddenly emptied. In September, Pakistan's Supreme Court established an investigative commission, and found that at least $400 million (€353 million) had been transferred through "thousands of false accounts."
Zardari, husband of the assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, served as Pakistan's president from 2008 to 2013. He spent 11 years in jail on corruption and murder charges before becoming president, although he was never convicted and denied committing any crimes.
Several Pakistani opposition leaders, including Khan's predecessor Nawaz Sharif, have been imprisoned on similar corruption charges. Sharif was removed from office by the Supreme Court over corruption allegations and is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in the eastern city of Lahore.
Opposition politicians from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said that Zardari's arrest was a reaction to protests that have been planned against Khan's government. The PPP says it will challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
Afrasiab Khattak, a human rights activist and former Pakistani senator, told DW that Zardari's arrest appeared to be a case of "political victimization and blackmailing."
"We are not against accountability, but it should be across the board. Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has many corrupt members, but they appear to be above accountability," Khattak said.
However, Pakistan's government denied accusations that Zardari's arrest was politically motivated.
Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan's minister of science and technology, told DW that the government was taking a "strong stance against corruption."
"Billions of rupees were transferred into fake bank accounts linked to Zardari. The probe was ordered by the Supreme Court. Now, the law is taking its course," said Chaudhry.
Pakistan is currently facing one of the worst economic crises in its history, and Prime Minster Khan is facing heavy pressure from political opponents. In May, Pakistan secured a multibillion dollar emergency loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In 2018, Khan and hisPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power after winning a narrow, outright majority in the last parliamentary elections on promises to improve the country's economy and boost employment. But critics say his government has yet to honor these commitments.
Who is Imran Khan, Pakistan's prime minister?
From cricket icon, to hedonistic playboy, and finally the leader of Pakistan — Imran Khan has enjoyed a long career in the public eye. DW looks at Imran Khan's sporting successes and political ascent.
Image: Reuters/M. Raza
Affluent upbringing
Imran Khan was born in Lahore in 1952, the son of a civil engineer. Khan grew up with his four sisters in a relatively affluent part of the city. He received a privileged education, first in his hometown and then in Worcester, England. It was there that Khan's love and talent for the game of cricket became evident. In 1972, he enrolled at Oxford University to study politics and economics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B.K. Bangash
Pakistan cricket's blue-eyed boy
Khan played cricket throughout his time in England and after returning to his native Pakistan in 1976, he quickly became a regular in the national team. By 1982, he was awarded the captain's armband. Khan enjoyed an illustrious career and was regarded by many as one of the best all-rounders in the world.
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World champion
The ultimate high point of Khan's sporting career saw him captain Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Melbourne, Australia. As if his popularity couldn't get any bigger back home, Khan even took the winning wicket in the final against England.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Dupont
From playboy to (thrice) married man
Khan enjoyed hedonistic bachelor life and was a regular fixture on London's nightlife scene. However, in 1995, at age 42, he finally tied the knot to 21-year-old Jemima Goldsmith. During their nine-year marriage, the famous couple provided plenty of fodder for the British and Pakistani tabloids. Despite separating in 2004, Goldsmith has remained a vocal supporter of Khan's politics.
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Khan enters politics
Khan wasted little time after retiring from cricket in 1994. Just two years later he entered Pakistani politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. However, his popularity was slow to carry over from cricket into politics. In the 1997 general elections, his PTI party failed to win a single seat.
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Political activist
Khan remained active in politics over the next decades. In 1999, he supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup, only to later turn against Musharraf ahead of the 2007 presidential election. Khan was subsequently placed under house arrest and even spent a few days in prison. However, his supporter base continued to grow, and by 2013 he became a key candidate in the general elections.
Image: AP
2013: Khan's political breakthrough
The PTI made substantial gains in the 2013 election, claiming 30 parliamentary seats and finishing second behind the Pakistan Muslim League. The party became the main opposition in the key provinces of Punjab and Sindh. However, its greatest feat was winning its first province in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Arab
"Taliban Khan"
Khan has often been the butt of jokes for his pacifist stance towards terrorism in the region. He earned the moniker "Taliban Khan" for claiming that the only way to achieve peace with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan was through negotiation. Khan was also a vocal critic of US drones strikes on Pakistan and has promised to disengage Pakistan from America's conflicts in the Middle East.
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Two more marriages
Since his divorce from Goldsmith in 2004, Khan has remarried twice. In January 2015, Khan announced his marriage to British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khanm although just 10 months later the couple said they were filing for divorce. In February 2018, Khan married his third wife, Bushra Manika (pictured front row, second from the left), whom he describes as his spiritual adviser.
Image: PIT
Making waves in 2018
By 2018, Khan's PTI were among the favorites going into the general election. Campaigning on a populist platform, Khan pledged to break away from Pakistan's corrupt legacy. His plans include a poverty reduction program similar to that seen in China. This would see the establishment of an "Islamic welfare state," the creation of 10 million jobs and construction of 5 million homes for the poor.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary
Prime Minister Imran Khan
Khan completed his journey from all-star cricketer to political leader on July 26, 2018. With most votes counted, the PTI is expected win up to 119 seats in Pakistan's 272-seat parliament. "I started this struggle 22 years ago and today I have been given a chance to fulfill what I dreamed for the country," Khan said in a televised speech. "We will run Pakistan like it's never been run before."