Saudi, Iraqi defense ministers discuss regional situation in phone call    Jeddah airport serves over 5.3 million passengers during 5-week peak Umrah season    Woman becomes first in UK to give birth after womb transplant    KSrelief signs agreement to care for orphans in earthquake-affected areas of Syria    Saudi stocks extend rally as TASI hits 11,500 points    Supreme Court pauses midnight deadline to return man mistakenly deported to El Salvador    Beijing vows to 'fight to the end' as Trump threatens 50% more tariffs    US in direct nuclear talks with Iran, Trump says    Six cases of child malnutrition found in Samos migrant camp, medical charity says    Women make up 20% of e-sports players in Saudi Arabia    IMF Chief lauds Saudi Arabia for its prudent leadership of IMFC    First baby born in UK to woman with transplanted womb    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Saudi Arabia highlights long standing relationship with UNESCO during Executive Board meeting    Princess Haifa: Sporting events draw 14 million tourists with SR22 billion spending in 2024    Ithra to showcase its art collection at Riyadh Art Week    6.8 million people travel via four Saudi airports during 2025 Umrah season    The Seven Dogs wraps filming in Riyadh with a budget exceeding $40 million    Saudi U-17s qualify for 2025 FIFA World Cup after win over Thailand    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Key players in Pakistan's upcoming election
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 03 - 2013

A look at several key players in Pakistan's upcoming national election that is expected in May:
• PRESIDENT ASIF ALI ZARDARI: The president rode to power on a wave of sympathy following the 2007 assassination of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, but his tenure has been turbulent and he has long been plagued by allegations of corruption. Zardari will not be participating in the upcoming election, but as co-head of the Pakistan People's Party, which led the last government, he will be a key figure. His unpopularity and anger over the performance of the government during its five-year term could damage the party's run in the upcoming election.
• BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI: The only son of the president and his late wife, he is set to carry the torch for the Bhutto family political dynasty in Pakistan. His grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the PPP and served as the country's president and prime minister. He is too young to participate in the upcoming election — the minimum age is 25 — but will likely play a key role as co-head of the PPP with his father. It remains to be seen how well the Oxford-educated youth can rally the party's largely poor, rural constituency in southern Sindh province since he has lived most of his life outside the country and is still working on his command of Urdu, the national language.
• NAWAZ SHARIF: The head of the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, hopes to become prime minister for the third time. His party, which appeals to an industrialist base and is strongest in central Punjab province, is the PPP's main rival to form the next government. Sharif was ousted as prime minister in a bloodless coup in 1999 by Gen. Pervez Musharraf and was sent into exile the following year.
He and Bhutto returned to Pakistan in 2007 to lead their parties in the 2008 elections. Bhutto was killed before the elections were held.
• IMRAN KHAN: Khan is a Pakistani cricket legend-turned-politician who could have a significant impact on the upcoming election. He founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or the Movement for Justice Party, more than 15 years ago, but failed to gain much traction until 2011. That year he marked his rise as a major political player with a rally that drew more than 100,000 people in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.
Khan has appealed to a largely young, urban constituency tired with the current crop of politicians and the corruption that plagues the system.
Analysts doubt his party can win enough seats to form the next government, but it could steal key votes away from the PML-N and the PPP, especially in Punjab, and that could affect who wins. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.