Washington, Mar. 23: Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP),chose Fehmida Mirza as the Speaker of the National Assembly because he was deeply influenced by his late wife Benazir Bhutto’s friendship with Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

According to the Daily Times, Zardari revealed this during a meeting with Richard Holbrooke, a former US ambassador to the United Nations.

Holbrooke mentions Zardari's view in a column published in the Washington Post on Friday. “Educated Pakistanis are following the American presidential campaign carefully. Whoever is elected, they will continue to pay close attention to Washington. (An example: Zardari told me that in choosing a woman speaker, he was deeply influenced by his wife’s friendship with Nancy Pelosi,” the paper quotes Holbrooke, as saying.
(ANI)