Yusuf Raza Gilani

Yusuf Raza Gilani
یوسف رضا گیلانی
Gillani in 2010
9th Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan
Assumed office
9 April 2024
Preceded bySadiq Sanjrani
Member of Senate of Pakistan
Assumed office
4 April 2024
In office
12 March 2021 – 29 February 2024
18th Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office
25 March 2008 – 19 June 2012
PresidentPervez Musharraf
Muhammad Mian Soomro (Acting)
Asif Ali Zardari
Preceded byMuhammad Mian Soomro (Caretaker)
Succeeded byRaja Pervez Ashraf
15th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
17 October 1993 – 16 February 1997
DeputySyed Zafar Ali Shah
Preceded byGohar Ayub Khan
Succeeded byElahi Bux Soomro
Leader of the Opposition
in the Senate of Pakistan
In office
26 March 2021 – 30 January 2022
Preceded byRaja Zafar-ul-Haq
Succeeded byShahzad Waseem
Minister for Housing and Works
In office
1988–1990
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
Preceded byMir Hazar Khan Bijarani
Succeeded byIslam Nabi
Minister for Railways
In office
28 January 1986 – 20 December 1986
Prime MinisterMuhammad Khan Junejo
Preceded byAbdul Ghafoor Hoti
Succeeded bySardarzada Muhammad Ali Shah
Mayor of Multan
In office
1983–1985
Succeeded bySalahuddin Dogar
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
29 February 2024 – 22 March 2024
ConstituencyNA-148 Multan-I
In office
19 March 2008 – 19 June 2012
ConstituencyNA-148 Multan-I
In office
19 October 1993 – 16 February 1997
ConstituencyNA-148 Multan-I
In office
1990–1993
ConstituencyNA-148 Multan-I
In office
1988–1990
ConstituencyNA-148 Multan-I
Personal details
Born (1952-06-09) 9 June 1952 (age 72)
Multan, Pakistan
Nationality Pakistani
Political party PPP (1980-present)
SpouseFauzia Gilani
Children5 inc. Kasim Gilani
Alma materGovernment College University
University of the Punjab

Yusuf Raza Gilani[a] (born 9 June 1952) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 16th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan since 9 April 2024.[1] Gilani was re-elected on 14 March 2024 after receiving 204 votes and currently is a Senator of the Senate of Pakistan.[2]

Chairman Gilani served as the acting-President of Pakistan from 20 May 2024 till 30 May 2024, this was during the period President Asif Ali Zardari remained abroad.[3][4]

He is a veteran of Pakistan People's Party, and is currently serving as the vice-chairman of the party's Central Executive Committee, and in 2021 was elected as a Senator and his term ended when he took oath as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan on 29 February 2024 and vacated the seat on 22 March 2024.[5]

Born into a clan of Multan, Gilani studied political journalism from the Government College University and University of the Punjab in Lahore. In 1978, he joined the Pakistan Muslim League and worked in the military government of president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Gilani resigned from the Muslim League in 1986 and subsequently joined the Pakistan People's Party in 1988. He served in the cabinet of Benazir Bhutto as the Minister of Tourism in 1989–1990, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development in 1990–1993 and Speaker of the National Assembly in 1993–1997. Gilani was arrested in 2001 on accusations of corruption by military president Pervez Musharraf and was imprisoned for around six years at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Following the 2008 general elections, Gilani was elected the Prime Minister of Pakistan by consensus of the Central Executive Committee of the People's Party. Upon inauguration, he strengthened parliamentary democracy and began an impeachment motion against Musharraf, which prompted the latter to abscond from the country. Furthermore, Gilani initiated ineffective foreign policies, nationalisation programmes and founded the University of Swat in July 2010. He is commonly credited with ending the judicial crisis in March 2009 and improving nuclear energy projects throughout the country. In June 2012, Gilani was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on corruption allegations. He briefly exiled from national politics until April 2017, when his disqualification term ended. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan from 2021 to 2022.


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  1. ^ "PPP formally names Gilani for Senate chairman". The Express Tribune. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Gilani triumphant from Islamabad as PPP dominates Senate by-polls". The Express Tribune. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. ^ Desk, Web (20 May 2024). "Gilani to take charge as acting president during Zardari's absence". ARY NEWS. Retrieved 20 May 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Zardari leaves for Dubai". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  5. ^ @KasimGillani (22 March 2024). "Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani has been notified as a senator, his National Assembly seat #NA148 stands vacant" (Tweet) – via Twitter.