Asif Ali Zardari has decided to re-enter the political spectrum, presumably hoping for either general amnesia on his corruption charges, or that his time in prison is seen as a purgatory from which he can emerged with a clean slate.
He seems likely to experiment with different strategies this time round. Gone is the flamboyance and macho image. He walks with a stick, his hair grey courtesy eight long years in prison
A man known for his palatial politics, political wheeling dealings with feudalists and mullahs alike, ‘sweetened contracts’ and backstage puppetry, he will be making his first foray into frontline politics.
The plan for a huge reception is reminiscent of Benazir Bhutto’s own arrival in Pakistan in 1986, when she made a historic comeback to defy the military dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq.