Yousuf Raza Gillani

Guide Note

Yousuf Raza Gillani is a politician in Pakistan and currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan. A prominent member of the PPP, who nominated Gillani or the PM position, he received an endorsement from the PML-N and other members of the new Pakistan Coalition Government. Gillani is a former aide of Benazir Bhutto and served as the speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly from 1993 to 1997. He was convicted of corruption charges at the conclusion of a highly controversial 2001 trial and served six years of his ten year sentence.

Fast Facts

1. Born: June 9, 1952
2. Prime Minister of Pakistan: March 25, 2008 to present
3. Speaker of National Assembly: October 17, 1993 to February 16, 1997
4. Former aide of Benazir Bhutto
5. Arrested on corruption charges in February, 2001
6. Tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison
7. Allegations and trial highly controversial and considered politically motivated
8. Served six years of sentence when he was released following a deal between the PPP and Pervez Musharraf

Shortly after he became Prime Minister of Pakistan on march 25, 2008. Yousuf Raza Gillani announced a program of policies and reforms he intended to implement in the first hundred days of his term. Some of these points included a 40 percent parliamentary budget cut, special accommodations for parliamentarians at airports to be removed, a moratorium on spending for the improvement of government buildings and residences, the framing of new freedom of information legislation, the establishment of an employment commission, the goal of building one million low income housing units annually and a lifting of bans on worker's and student's unions, among others.