Asif Ali Zardari has changed many of his habits. For instance, he is no more fond of big moustache, which is considered symbol of manhood in Sindh, he has come to know the way to talk and coax his listeners, but one of his habits is still there. And that is, Zardari is friends of friends. Contrary to previous two PPP governments, this time Zardrai’s friends, most of them non-elected, have appeared to be more powerful, and somehow uncontrollable. A glaring example of this contention can be gauged by the postponement of by-elections, which is still a mystery. The secretary election commission, Kanwar Dilshad contended that elections have been postponed on the request of NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti. Mr Hoti, however, was quick enough to react to Mr Dilshad’s statement as he disclosed that he was approached by the FIA-famed Rehman, Malik, the incumbent advisor to prime minister on home affairs, and asked him to write a letter to the Election Commission requesting postponement of by-elections due to poor law and order in the province, as according to MR Malik other three provinces had already requested for that. 

Since, Mr Hoti revealed that who was behind the postponement of by-elections, newsmen ran from pillar to post to catch Mr Malik to know his viewpoint, but they simply failed. The mystery further deepened, when the iron man  (Zardari) clarified that Malik was not behind the postponement of by-elections. But, he has not so far clarified that if not Malik then who else was the mastermind of this “conspiracy”. And what propelled Mr Malik to hoodwink the NWFP chief minister by claiming that other three provinces had agreed to the postponement of by-elections? How ironic it is that even Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had no prior information about postponement of by-elections. 
An interesting similarity between most of Zardari’s friends is that they all ran away from the country, and remained in peace for years when the PPP and other political workers had been struggling for democracy in the country, and languishing in jails. 

Here are some of iron man’s folks. 

1) REHMAN MALIK: He has never been a PPP member. A senior PPP leader told weekly Pulse wishing not to be named that Mr Malik’s party membership is doubtful. But it doesn’t matter, because Mr Malik’s sprawling house in a posh locality of London is being used as international secretariat of the party for last many years. He has borne out the expenses on party meetings, and leaders’ stay in London for last many years. 
Mr Malik, who is currently acting as de facto prime minister, is a former director of FIA tainted with corruption charges, He managed to flee the country soon after the ouster of the PPP’s second government in 1996. He never returned to the country till October 18, 2007 as various cases were registered against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption and misuse of authority. But now he is clean man. All the cases against him have been withdrawn under a controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). 
He is the one who actually brokered a deal earlier between President Pervez Musharraf, and the slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and later between Musharraf and Zardari. 

2) HUSSAIN HAQQANI: This man too remained out of the country enjoying cool breeze of America and Europe during last eight years, but as soon as the PPP government was installed, he rushed back. He has been appointed as ambassador to USA by Mr Zardari in return of “his relentless struggle for democracy, and valuable sacrifices for the PPP”. 
Haqqani is known for changing loyalties, and wives. He started his career from the platform of Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT), and was elected as president Karachi University Students Union in 1979. He had recognised soon that the IJT platform could not help him climb the “stairs of progress”. He changed his loyalties, and joined Nawaz Sharif. Reportedly, he was the mastermind of a character assassination campaign launched by Mr Sharif during 1988 elections in Punjab against Ms Bhutto. His incumbent wife (fourth), Farah Naz Ispahani, who has been elected as member national assembly on a reserved seat, had allegedly provided some “objectionable” pictures of Ms Bhutto to Haqqani. 
The ouster of Benazir’s political secretary, and once the most powerful person in PPP after Ms Bhutto, Naheed Khan is also because of Haqqani and his wife. Ms Khan has always been critical to Haqqani and Farah Naz because of two reasons. First, Mr Haqqani in mid 90s got married to Naheed’s sister, Aneela and later divorced her. Second, Naheed had always resisted to Farah Naz’s entry to the PPP ranks.
But, Ms Bhutto’s assassination has changed everything. Now, Naheed is out, and Farah Naz is in, because Zardari is friends of friends. 
The senior IJT leaders say that Mr Haqqani had always been suspicious for his links to “big brothers”. 
Another credit that goes to Haqqani is that his so-called US-based lobbying firm had been awarded an image-building contract by President Musharraf in 2000, which was later cancelled. The President’s spokesman, Major General (R) Rashid Qureshi, who at that time was director general, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) personally told this weekly Pulse correspondent that the respective contract was awarded to Mr Haqqani’s firm to promote Pakistan’s image in America, however he miserably failed to produce the desired results therefore, the contract was revoked. Since then, Mr Haqqani started writing columns against Musharraf government. 

3) ZULFIKAR MIRZA: Another folk who remained out of the country for years when the PPP leaders and workers were struggling against police crackdowns, and fake cases registered at the behest of former chief minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim all over Sindh. Hailing from southern district of Badin, Dr Mirza is the spouse of speaker National Assembly, Dr Fahmida Mirza, and has been appointed as home minister Sindh. 
Dr Mirza managed to escape soon after the dismissal of the PPP government in 1996, and remained abroad for next ten years. Various corruption cases and a murder case were lodged against Dr Mirza, which has recently been withdrawn under the NRO. 

4) SALMAN FAROOQI: A senior bureaucrat, and a former chairman of steel mills, is blamed for massive corruption. He too has never been a PPP member but he was one of Zardari’s friends who were preferred over senior PPP leaders, and were assigned fruitful posts soon after the formation of the new government.
Mr Farooqi has been appointed as ambassador – at-large by Mr Zardari for his unforgettable services for the country, and the party.  He is one of those evergreen bureaucrats who are hated by the PPP workers. He outrigthly says that he has nothing to do with the PPP or its workers; instead he is the only friend of Zardari. Mr Farooqi too spent last many years in self-exile in the USA, as he was not ready to face the cases against him in courts. He is considered one of the major beneficiaries of the NRO, as he was being tried in various corruption cases to the tune of billion of rupees in different courts. 

5) Dr ASIM HUSSEIN: This man has replaced Chaudhry Danyal Aziz, the former chairman of National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB). Mr Asim is a medical practitioner. He has never been in politics. He might not have known about NRB before his appointment as the chairman of this institution.
His only qualification is that he provides free medical care to Zardari, and his family. During his detention period, Zardari was admitted to Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, owned by Dr Asim Hussein various times. Prime Minister Gilani did not know even Dr Asim’s name before he issued orders appointing him as chairman NRB.  

6) WAJID SHAMS-UL-HASSAN: Another friend who chose to be an absconder for last 12 years. A journalist-turned politician, Wajid is going to be appointed high commissioner to UK again. He was co-accused in an antique smuggling case along with Asif Zardari. But he too is now a ‘Mr clean’ as all the cases against Wajid have been withdrawn under the NRO.