'Every Day I Passed By The Hangman's Noose'

Move over Veer-Zaara, the new Romeo-Juliet pair from Pakistan promises to take over, with the release of Benazir Bhutto's husband after 8 years of captivity.

By Mariana Baabar INTERVIEWS Asif Zardari

13 December 2004

Move over Veer-Zaara, the new Romeo-Juliet pair from Pakistan promises to take over. Last week's release of Asif Zardari from jail has all the ingredients of a romantic biopic: the eight long years of separation from wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and their meeting, possibly, in the not-too-distant future. Outlook's Mariana Baabar spoke over the phone to Zardari in Karachi. He doesn't seem to have lost his sense of humour, a trait Benazir once cited as an important reason why she agreed to marry him. He says he survived the eight years in jail by following the example of his father-in-law Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who preferred to walk to the gallows than acquiesce to a military strongman's worldview. At the moment, Zardari's top priority is to visit the families of those who immolated themselves to protest against his imprisonment. Excerpts from an interview:

What was your reaction at the announcement of the bail?
I was ecstatic and shouted Allah O Akbar (God is great). I tried to ring up Bibi (Benazir Bhutto) but before I could get...

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