Yusuf Raza Gilani

Yousaf Raza Gilani is a Pakistani politician who serves as the chairman of the senate of Pakistan. He previously held the position of the 16th prime minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012. As a member of the Pakistan People's Party, he remains the first and only ethnic Saraiki prime minister in the country's history.

Early life and education

Gilani was born on 9 June 1952 in Multan, Punjab, to a Saraiki family of Sufi Sayyids. He later moved to Lahore to pursue his academic interests. He attended Government College University where he obtained a B.A. in journalism in 1970. Following this achievement, he earned an MA in Political journalism from the University of the Punjab in 1976.

In an interview with BBC Urdu, Gilani stated that he would have become a civil engineer if he had not pursued national politics. His family lineage is reportedly descended from the Sufi saint Musa al-Jilani and the theologian Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani.

Career

The political career of Gilani began in 1978 when he joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) as a member of the Central Working Committee. He worked within the government of President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and was elected chairman of the District Council Multan in 1983. After resigning from the PML in 1986 due to political differences, he joined the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in 1988.

He served in several high-level roles during the administration of Benazir Bhutto. Gilani acted as the Minister of Tourism from 1989 to 1990 and later held the position of Minister of Local Government and Rural Development between 1990 and 1993. He resigned from his ministry to serve as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 1993 until 1997. In 2001, military president Pervez Musharraf accused him of corruption, which led to a six-year imprisonment at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Following the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Central Executive Committee of the PPP elected Gilani as prime minister during the 2008 general elections. During his tenure, he strengthened parliamentary democracy and initiated an impeachment motion against Musharraf—an action that prompted the former president to leave the country. He is credited with ending the judicial crisis in March 2009 and improving various nuclear energy projects. In July 2010, he founded the University of Swat.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Gilani from office in June 2012 due to corruption allegations. He remained away from national politics until April 2017 when his disqualification term ended. Between 2021 and 2022, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan. After being elected as a Senator in 2021, he took an oath as a Member of the National Assembly on 29 February 2024 and vacated that seat on 22 March 2024.

Gilani currently serves as the chairman of the senate. He also holds the position of vice-chairman of the PPP's Central Executive Committee. During a period when President Asif Ali Zardari was abroad, Gilani served as the acting president of Pakistan from 20 May 2024 until 30 May 2024.

Personal life

Gilani is married to Fauzia Gillani, and the couple has four sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Abdul Qadir Gillani, is a politician from Multan who married the granddaughter of Pir Pagara Shah Mardan Shah II in 2008. His other three sons—Ali Qasim Gillani, Ali Musa Gillani, and Ali Haider Gillani—are triplets. His daughter is named Fiza Gillani.

The family has faced significant challenges during their political involvement. In May 2013, his son Ali Haider Gilani was kidnapped by the Al Mansuri Brigade in Multan. He remained in captivity for three years before being rescued in May 2016 through a joint operation involving Afghan forces and American-led NATO special forces.