Tearing into Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari over his comments on the country’s Hindu minority, legendary Indian screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar claimed that the former has always been “insensitive” to everything around him. Alleging that Zardari shot to fame solely after his marriage to Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, Akhtar also took an indirect swipe at him by weaving in his nickname, “Mr Ten Per Cent,” into his social media post.

The controversy erupted after Zardari, while addressing a gathering during an event to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day, spoke about Hindus in the country. Maintaining that Muslims in Pakistan are tolerant towards Hindus, Zardari claimed that they prefer being in Pakistan to India.

What did Asif Ali Zardari say about Hindu minorities in Pakistan?

“The Indians have a different point of view. They have their own agenda in mind. They believe in Akhand Bharat. But there is a lot in between which they have forgotten. We are Muslims. They are not. But we are Muslims of the mindset that we tolerate 3-4 per cent Hindu population in Pakistan. They are as free, as good as anywhere else they were. They would rather be with us than be with them,” Asif Ali Zardari said, as per a clip shown on CNN-.

Mr Zardari of Pakistan who had come into the limelight after Benazeer Bhutto had married says that they tolerate the 3-4 percent Hindu population Lin their country . I understand Mr Zardari you have always being insensitive to all under the sun which is less than 10 % .

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) August 15, 2026

In retaliation, Javed Akhtar took to social media to slam Zardari and mock him for his remarks. “Mr Zardari of Pakistan, who had come into the limelight after Benazir Bhutto had married him, says that they tolerate the 3-4 per cent Hindu population in their country. I understand, Mr Zardari, you have always been insensitive to all under the sun, which is less than 10 per cent,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Why is Asif Ali Zardari called ‘Mr Ten Per Cent’?

For the unversed, Asif Ali Zardari got the nickname “Mr Ten Per Cent” in the late 1980s and early 1990s over allegations that he used his wife’s political power to charge a 10 per cent commission for obtaining permission to set up any project.

After the dismissal of the Bhutto government by then-President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1990, caretaker Prime Minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi made sharp remarks about Zardari. He claimed that the latter charged a 10 per cent commission from stakeholders for various government projects.

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“A 10 per cent commission had to be paid to get permission for setting up any project. Commissions had to be paid to get bank loans… Zardari is a party to all that happened. He is the kingpin,” Jatoi told TIME in 1990. That’s how Zardari’s nickname “Mr Ten Per Cent” gained popularity.

Asif Ali Zardari became the president of Pakistan for the first time in 2008, months after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007. He served until 2013 and became president of Pakistan again in 2024.