Yousaf Raza Gillani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 March 2008
President : Pervez Musharraf
Muhammad Mian Soomro (Acting)
Asif Ali Zardari
Preceded by: Muhammad Mian Soomro
Speaker of National Assembly
In office 17 October 1993 – 16 February 1997
Preceded by: Gohar Ayub Khan
Succeeded by : Elahi Bux Soomro
Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 1998
Serving with : Makhdoom Ameen Faheem
Born : 9 June 1952 (age 57)
Karachi, Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Political
party: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
Spouse(s) : Fauzia Gilani
Residence : Multan, Pakistan
Religion : Islam
Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani (born 9 June 1952) is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was previously Speaker of the National Assembly (1993-1997) and a Federal Minister (1985-1986, 1989-1990). Gilani is Vice-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
He was nominated as Prime Minister by the PPP, with the support of its coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on 22 March 2008.[2] He took the oath of office from President Pervez Musharraf on 25 March 2008.[3] Gilani is the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan from the Saraiki-speaking belt.
Family and education
Gilani was born in Karachi on 9 June 1952 . He belongs to an influential political family from Multan. His father was a descendant of Syed Musa Pak, a spiritual figure of the Qadiri Sufism order which traces its origins to Abdul-Qadir Gilani of the Gilan province of Iran. Gilani attended Government College and obtained his B.A and M.A. in Journalism from University of the Punjab. Gilani is married and has four sons, one daughter, and one grandson.[5] His eldest son, Syed Makhdoom Abdul Qadir Gilani, started his own political career from Multan, and in 2008 he married the granddaughter of Pir Pagara Shah Mardan Shah II, an influential political and religious leader of Sindh. His three other sons—Ali Qasim Gilani, Ali Musa Gilani and Ali Haider Gilani—are currently studying abroad. His daughter’s is named Fiza Gilani. The Gilanis are major landowners in Multan and own about 200 acres of land.
Political career
Gilani’s political journey began during General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law in 1978. He joined the Central Working Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML). He was also a cabinet member in the three-year government of Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo, and served as Minister of Housing and Works from April 1985 to January 1986 and as Railways Minister from January 1986 to December 1986.
After a short stint with the Muslim League, Gilani joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1988. In the Benazir Bhutto government of 1988-1990, he was Minister of Tourism from March 1989 to January 1990 and Minister of Housing and Works from January 1990 to August 1990. Later, under another Bhutto government, he became Speaker of the National Assembly in October 1993, serving in that post until February 1997.
He has been elected various times as the Member of National Assembly from Multan. In the 2008 general election, he beat Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) leader Sikandar Hayat Bosan.
Imprisonment
Yousaf Raza Gilani was arrested on February 11, 2001 under the auspices of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), an anti-corruption agency set up by the military government in 1999, over charges of that he misused his authority while he was Speaker of the National Assembly. Specifically, he was accused of hiring up to 600 people from among his constituents and placing them on the government’s payroll.[6] NAB claimed that Gilani inflicted a loss of Rs 30 million annually on the national exchequer.[7] He was convicted by an anti-corruption court formed by Musharraf and spent nearly six years in prison.[8]
The legal proceedings were perceived by many as politically motivated; his party, the PPP, was in opposition to Musharraf, who had embarked on a campaign to coerce party members to switch sides. Thus his conviction by Musharraf-backed courts and subsequent prison sentence are seen as marks of loyalty within the PPP. His imprisonment was widely condemned by various individuals across the country, including Mushahid Hussain Syed, a senior leader of PML-Q.[citation needed] He was released on October 7, 2006 from Adiala Jail, after spending more than five years in captivity.[9]
Premiership
On March 22, 2008, the PPP nominated Gilani for the post of Prime Minister. PPP completed consultations with coalition partners about the Prime Minister and its allies endorsed the nomination. The formal announcement of the name of Prime Minister was expected to be made that night.
On March 22 at 9:38 pm Islamabad, (1638 GMT), he was officially announced by PPP as its candidate for the premiership of the country.
Many analysts said that they would not be surprised if Zardari succeeded Gilani after a few months. It was reported on March 24, 2008, that Zardari said he was not interested in the job of Prime Minister and that Gilani would serve until 2013 in the position. Speculation that Zardari might be gunning for the premiership grew stronger when he picked the less popular Gilani over Ameen Faheem, President of the PPP. Fahmida Mirza, the newly-elected Speaker of the Assembly, insists there is no plan to replace Gilani. She added, however, that if Gilani did not do a good job, all options were open.[10]
