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Makhdoom Syed Yousaf
Raza Gillani (Urdu: مخدوم سيد يوسف رضا گیلانى )
(born June 9, 1952 in Karachi) is the new Prime Minister-designate of
Pakistan. He was nominated by Pakistan Peoples Party, with the support of
coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Awami National Party, Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam and Muttahida Qaumi Movement on 22 March 2008.[1] He is
expected to be confirmed by the National Assembly on 24 March 2008 and is
scheduled to take the oath from President Pervez Musharraf on 25 March 2008.
Gillani is also the present vice chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, a
former Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan (1993-1996) and former
Federal minister (1985-1986). He has publicly vowed to restore the judges of
the superior courts by the 16 April 2008, which is the key demand of PML-N
[edit] Family and education
Makhdoom Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani belongs to an influential and spiritual
Shia family of Multan, born on June 9, 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan. His father
was a descendant of Syed Musa Pak, a leading spiritual figure of Multan who
had hailed from the Iranian province of Gilan. One of Gillani's aunts
(sister of his mother) is the wife of Pir Pagara. Makhdoom Syed Yousaf Raza
Gillani is married and has four sons and one daughter "fiza gillani and one
grandson. The eldest son of Yousaf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Syed Abdul Qadir
Gillani, will marry the grand-daughter of Pir Pagara on March 24, 2008 in
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Gillani recieved early education at LaSalle Higher Secondary School Multan
and later graduated in 1970 and received MA in Journalism from University of
the Punjab in 1976. Afterwards, he went to England to complete a masters
degree.[citation needed]
Political career
Yousuf Raza Gillani began his political journey from the platform of
Pakistan Muslim League during General Zia-ul-Haq's martial law in 1978. He
joined the Muslim League's Central Working Committee. He was also a cabinet
member in the three-year government of Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo.
He served as Minister of Housing and Works from April 1985 to January 1986
and Railways Minister from January 1986 to December 1986.
After a short stint with the Muslim League, Gillani become part of the
Pakistan Peoples Party in 1988 and has since remained PPP's loyal and
steadfast supporter. In the Benazir Bhutto government of 1988-1990, Gillani
was again a cabinet minister: He was Minister of Tourism from March 1989 to
January 1990 and again served as Minister of Housing and Works from January
1990 to August 1990.
In the Benazir government of 1993-1996, Gillani was elected the Speaker of
National Assembly of Pakistan, which he stayed till February 1997.
He has been elected various times as Member of National Assembly from Multan.
In the 2008 general election, he beat PML-Q leader Sikandar Hayat Bosan.
Jail
Yousaf Raza Gillani was arrested on 11 February 2001 under the auspices of
National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the government's anti-corruption
agency set up by the military government in 1999, over charges of the misuse
of his authority while he was Speaker of the National Assembly.
Specifically, he was accused of hiring up to 600 people from his
constituency on government payroll.[3] NAB claimed that Gillani inflicted a
loss of Rs 30 million annually on the national exchequer.[4] He was
convicted by an anti-corruption court formed by General Pervez Musharraf and
spent nearly six years in prison.[5]
The legal proceeding were perceived by many as politically motivated -- his
party, the PPP, was in opposition to General 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 is seen by a mark of
loyalty within the PPP. His imprisonment was widely condemned by various
people across the country including Syed Mushahid Hussain who is a senior
leader of PML-Q.[citation needed] He was finally released on 7 October 2006
from Adiala Jail, after spending more than five years in prison. He
subsequently denied that the release was part of any deal between PPP and
the military government, as the original sentence ran for 10-year
imprisonment.[6]
Premiership
On Saturday, March 22, 2008 Pakistan Peoples Party nominated Yousuf Raza
Gillani for the post of prime minister of the country. According to Geo
News, PPP has completed consultations with coalition partners about the
prime minister and the allies have endorsed the nomination. The formal
announcement of the name of prime minister is expected tonight.
On Saturday March 22, 2008 at 9:38 pm Islamabad, (1638 GMT), he was
officially announced by PPP as the candidate for the premiership of the
country. There is a wide speculation that he would be a "stand-in" for Asif
Ali Zardari, widower of former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto |
