Asif Ali Zardari, faces being engulfed in a corruption scandal

Corruption scandal set to swamp Pakistani politicians

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, faces being engulfed in a corruption scandal that threatens to distract the country from its battle with the Taliban.
Mr Zardari and members of his pro-Western government will be hit by a string of criminal allegations when an amnesty protecting high-ranking politicians expires today.
The publication of a list of more than 8000 politicians covered by the amnesty shows that it includes bureaucrats, senior ministers and ambassadors, who are charged with offences ranging from murder to embezzlement.
The amnesty on charges dating back to the 1990s, which was introduced through a decree by the former president Pervez Musharraf in 2007, was ended by the Supreme Court.
Mr Zardari is on the list but is protected from prosecution by presidential immunity. However, some lawyers believe they could prove him unfit for office. Cases could also be renewed against his allies, including Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister, and the ambassadors to London and Washington.
The end of the amnesty has alarmed the West, which fears that lengthy, politically motivated trials could distract their key ally in Islamabad from the Pakistani military’s war with the Taliban in Waziristan.
Mr Zardari has become a critical part of Western efforts to defeat the militants and hunt al-Qaeda terrorists.
He gained the nickname ”Mr 10 Per Cent” from accusations that he received kickbacks while awarding lucrative contracts during the two stints as prime minister of his wife, the late Benazir Bhutto. He spent years in jail on the charges and, while he was never convicted, the allegations have lingered.
The 8000 names on the list are dominated by politicians from the ruling Pakistan People’s Party. Mr Zardari’s supporters believe the publication of the list, coupled with the end of the amnesty, is part of a military-backed plot to oust him. In a speech this week, he said: ”We are not afraid of conspiracies.”
Despite presidential immunity, some lawyers argue that Mr Zardari is not protected from charges stemming from the period before he took office. A.K. Dogar, a lawyer preparing to sue him, said: ”The idea of anyone being above the law is wrong.”