The National Assembly in Pakistan has voted to strip President Asif Ali Zardari of several powers, paving the way for the complete repeal of amendments that had granted the powers in the first place. The proposal now heads to the Senate for a vote.

Actually, the repeal doesn’t sound too outrageous. The powers were introduced by Pervez Musharraf, who of course came to power in a military coup back in 1999 and became president in 2001. They include the president having the ability to dissolve the National Assembly and appoint military leaders. I can see why neither is attractive to have around in Pakistan.

In fact, Mr. Zardari himself promised to overturn the amendments when he came to power back in 2008. But, as you can expect, he dragged his feet and never quite got around to keeping his promises. Sounds like another head-of-state we know. But back to Pakistan.

The Senate also must act on proposed new amendments, including giving power to Pakistan’s provinces and to change the name of the North West Frontier Province.

Zardari is the husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who we all remember was assassinated in broad daylight back in 2007. Corruption charges have been plaguing him as of late:

The president’s foes, which include the nation’s senior judiciary and a number of opposition parties, have in recent days increased efforts to have the president face trial on graft allegations. Pakistan’s anticorruption agency, on the orders of the nation’s top judge, asked Swiss authorities this month to reopen a graft investigation on Mr. Zardari.

That move came after the Supreme Court in December overruled an amnesty that had shielded Mr. Zardari and thousands of other Pakistanis from graft allegations.

Mr. Zardari spent 11 years in prison in Pakistan on corruption allegations, but he hasn’t been convicted in a Pakistani court and denies wrongdoing.

In 2003, a court in Geneva found him and Ms. Bhutto guilty of laundering kickbacks from a Swiss company, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. A subsequent Swiss investigation into the allegations was dropped in 2008 at Pakistan’s request, following the amnesty decree.

As a sitting president, Mr. Zardari can’t be taken to court in Pakistan or overseas, his supporters say.

Perhaps most importantly, the repeal of the amendments would permit Nawaz Sharif — Zardari’s main opponent — to run again for prime minister. Sharif heads the Pakistan Muslim League party, and previously served as prime minister back in the late 90s. He ordered the 1998 nuclear test and was ousted from office after the coup by, ta da, Musharraf.

In October 1999, Sharif tried to remove Musharraf from his post chief of the army. Musharraf, who was out of the country at the time, immediately tried to return but Sharif had his plane blocked from landing in Pakistan. Musharraf contacted his buddies in the military who proceeded to oust Sharif and install Musharraf as head of the government.

And that’s how we ended up with Musharraf. Now we could see Sharif again as prime minister while Musharraf spends his days at a Pakistani retirement home. Full circle.