Although the late Benazir Bhutto’s party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), fared well in Monday’s parliamentary election, her widower, Asif Ali Zardari (a controversial figure known in some circles as “Mr. Ten Percent”), isn’t planning to follow in her footsteps as Pakistan’s prime minister.

Meanwhile, President Pervez Musharraf’s standing hangs in the balance; although he won’t step down after several of his allies were unseated in Monday’s vote, Musharraf’s opponents could push for his impeachment if they build enough momentum within the government.


BBC:

Asif Ali Zardari said his PPP party would choose another candidate to lead a coalition government that opposition parties are expected to form.

President Pervez Musharraf has called for reconciliation after his party’s defeat, but he ruled out stepping down.

He said the polls had strengthened moderate forces inside the country.

Mr Zardari, a deeply divisive figure in Pakistani politics who has spent several years in prison on corruption charges, is not an MP and is therefore not currently eligible to serve as prime minister.

Read more

Your support is crucial...

As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.

Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality beneath the headlines — without compromise.

Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG