Zardari the Don

Asif Ali Zardari is in the spotlight again but this time as a "leader" instead of as a jailbird. It wasn't too long ago, when Benazir Bhutto was alive, that Zardari was very much in the background, a calculated and deliberate move on the part of the late BB. Comfortably ensconced in an Upper East Side Manhattan flat, he was a non-player on the Pakistani political scene.

The death of Benazir Bhutto has been a god-sent gift for Zardari. He has not only emerged in the foreground but is the center of gravity in Pakistani politics.

Zardari was accused, and continues to be by the family of Murtaza Bhutto, of eliminating Murtaza since he was perceived to be a threat to Benazir. Given his checkered past, no one can put anything past Zardari, the erstwhile playboy. Questions will always remain regarding his role in Murtaza's death.

Interestingly, however, is a notion that is circulating regarding his role in Benazir's demise. Given the fact that the chief security officer responsible for Benazir, Shehenshah, is a very close and loyal friend of Zardari, and given Shehenshah's reputation which is closer to a mafiosi's than a law-enforcer's, a conspiracy theory is not entirely without foundation.

After all, the biggest beneficiary from Benazir's death, no doubt, is Zardari. He is in the driver's seat like he could not possibly imagine while Benazir was alive. Not to mention the riches accumulated and inherited by Bhutto fall under his care now.

In Pakistan, anything's possible. What do you think?