Having surprised many by becoming Pakistan’s first elected President to complete a five-year term, Asif Ali Zardari will step down from office on Sunday to be succeeded by India-born Mamnoon Hussain.
The husband of late former premier Benazir Bhutto, Zardari had a controversial term but was able to keep democracy on track through a series of understandings and alliances with the country’s main political parties.
Zardari, the de facto chief of the Pakistan People’s Party, faced a strong and assertive judiciary that pursued him over multi-million-dollar graft cases against him in Switzerland.
One casualty was former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, who lost his job when he was disqualified by the Supreme Court for refusing to implement its order to ask Swiss authorities to reopen the cases.
As Zardari prepares to step down, speculation is rife on what he will do in future. Some say he is likely to spend his time abroad while others close to him say he will remain in Pakistan and work to strengthen the PPP.