On Friday 18 September 2009 HE President Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan delivered a Special Address on “Pakistan: Strategic Challenges & Opportunities”.
Read the speech
President Asif Ali Zardari was elected President of Pakistan in September 2008, after nine years of military rule. In January 2008 he was elected Co-Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) following the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
President Zardari's political career spans two decades, spent working closely with Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. During this period he helped formulate policies that expanded the freedom of the media, revolutionized telecommunications and opened Pakistan for foreign direct investment.
President Zardari served as a Member of the National Assembly twice (1990-93 and 1993-96), as Federal Minister for the Environment (1993-1996) and as Federal Minister for Investment (1995-96). He was the principal architect of the Benazir Bhutto government's efforts to transform Pakistan's energy and power sector by encouraging major investment opportunities in power generation. He was also the initiator of the Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline project.
President Zardari was elected Senator in 1997 and served in that capacity until the dissolution of the Senate following the military coup of 1999.
This address was chaired Dr John Chipman, Director-General and CEO of the IISS. It took place in the Lee Kuan Yew Conference Room at Arundel House.
