He was seen as a political liability for the PPP and spent 11 years in jail on charges of corruption, for which he was labelled 'Mr 10 per cent', amid allegations that he pocketed commissions on government contracts.
Both Zardari and Bhutto denied the corruption allegations leveled against them but were able to return to Pakistan from self-exile last year only after Musharraf issued a controversial law that dropped all graft charges against them.
Zardari, the son of Pakistani politician Hakim Ali Zardari, was born on July 26, 1955 in Nawabshah, an important city of Sindh province, and grew up in Karachi. He was educated at St Patrick's School, ironically also the alma mater of Musharraf.
His father was well-to-do and the young Zardari's main claim to fame was that he had a private disco at home, helping him gain the reputation of a 'playboy'.
Image: A file photograph of Asif Ali Zardari with former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Photographs: Sameed Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: Coverage: Pakistan Votes
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