Special report: Pakistani Situation

    ISLAMABAD, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan People's Party (PPP)Co-Chairman and widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari will compete for the top slot of the country in the forthcoming presidential election.

    Born at Nawabshah in southern Sindh province on July 26, 1955, Zardari is the director of M/s Zardari Group (Pvt.) Ltd. and an agriculturist, according to the introduction from the official site of the PPP.

    Zardari was elected as a member of national assembly, lower house of the parliament for two times. He served as the Federal Minister of the Environment from 1993 to 1996, and Federal Minister of Investment from 1995 to 1996. He was a senator from 1997 to 1999.

    As the husband of Benazir Bhutto, Zardari worked with his wife for 20 years. He spent 11 and a half years in prison.

    After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December last year, Zardari was elected by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP and asked to become Chairman of the Party. He nominated his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for that role and instead accepted the job of Co-Chairman of the PPP.

    The PPP on Aug. 22 nominated Zardari as its presidential candidate and he later accepted the mandate of the party.