Meet PPP’s first non-Bhutto PM

Author: Agencies Date: 25 Mar 2008

Yousaf Raza Gilani is Pakistan’s new leader


Congrats! Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is known to be soft spoken.
Pic/ AP
Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Assembly elected Yousaf Raza Gilani as prime minister yesterday.

Gilani (55) is a former National Assembly speaker. Gilani, the PPP’s first ever non-Bhutto prime minister, will lead a coalition government dominated by the PPP and Nawaz Sharif’s PML(N).

Born on June 9, 1952, in Karachi, Gilani comes from a family of prominent landowners and spiritual leaders in Multan. His grandfather and grand-uncles were members of the All India Muslim League, and signed the 1940 Pakistan resolution that led to partition of British-ruled India.

Gilani joined the Muslim League’s central leadership in 1978, after completing an MA in journalism from the University of Punjab.

In 1988, after being sidelined in the party, he switched to Benazir Bhutto’s opposition PPP, and defeated then Punjab chief minister, Nawaz Sharif.

Five yrs in jail

Losing in 1997 polls, Gilani was jailed in 2001 by President Pervez Musharraf, and served five years on charges of making illegal appointments when speaker of parliament during the PPP’s 1993-1996 rule.

He says the charges were meant to pressure him to join Musharraf’s government. He was exonerated and freed in 2006.

While in prison, the soft-spoken Gilani wrote a book that advocates a strong military, but one that is removed from politics.

— Agencies