Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was released from jail on a 15-day parole on Thursday, even as the country's foremost anti-corruption unit "temporarily" suspended its drive against corrupt politicians.

Zardari, imprisoned for over six years in connection with a host of corruption and criminal cases, was permitted to go to his hometown Nawabshah in southern Sindh province and join his family in Eid celebrations.

Much importance is being attached to the timing of Zardari's release as it comes ahead of the inaugural session of the Sindh Provincial Assembly, where Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians has emerged as the largest single party.