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Pakistani president recuperating in Dubai as rumors gain ground
Source: Agencies |
December 13, 2011, Tuesday
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PAKISTANI President Asif Ali Zardari will likely need two weeks to rest in Dubai following medical treatment there before he returns home, the prime minister said in comments that could add to speculation about the leader's health and whether he is losing his grip on power.
Zardari flew to the United Arab Emirates last week for treatment related to a heart condition, setting off rumors he was fleeing army attempts to oust him.
The government initially said the trip was routine and the president would be home in a few days. But reports have surfaced since then that Zardari's condition was more serious, with some officials saying he suffered a mini stroke.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied the president had a stroke in an interview with the BBC. He said Zardari needed medical attention because he was "exhausted." "That was the reason and now his tests are clear, and he is improving," said Gilani. "I did talk to him, and he has been talking to other Cabinet ministers as well. He sounded very well."
The president's supporters say the stories about his health and ulterior motives for going to Dubai have been whipped up by his opponents. Speculation of military moves against the civilian government is common in Pakistan because the army has staged several coups and ruled the country for much of its history.
Zardari has been under serious pressure since the Pakistani ambassador to the United States was forced to resign amid allegations he sent a memo to Washington asking for help in preventing a supposed military coup following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The operation in a Pakistani garrison town outraged officials because they were not told about it beforehand.
Mansoor Ijaz, a US businessman of Pakistani origin, has claimed that former ambassador Husain Haqqani crafted the memo with the support of Zardari. Both Haqqani and the president have denied the allegations.
Zardari has been asked to appear before the Supreme Court in its investigation into the memo scandal. The first hearing is scheduled for December 19, and the president will submit his reply to the court if he has not returned from Dubai, Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said in Islamabad.
The US State Department has said it believes Zardari's trip to Dubai is "completely health-related" and not connected to the memo scandal.
Zardari flew to the United Arab Emirates last week for treatment related to a heart condition, setting off rumors he was fleeing army attempts to oust him.
The government initially said the trip was routine and the president would be home in a few days. But reports have surfaced since then that Zardari's condition was more serious, with some officials saying he suffered a mini stroke.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied the president had a stroke in an interview with the BBC. He said Zardari needed medical attention because he was "exhausted." "That was the reason and now his tests are clear, and he is improving," said Gilani. "I did talk to him, and he has been talking to other Cabinet ministers as well. He sounded very well."
The president's supporters say the stories about his health and ulterior motives for going to Dubai have been whipped up by his opponents. Speculation of military moves against the civilian government is common in Pakistan because the army has staged several coups and ruled the country for much of its history.
Zardari has been under serious pressure since the Pakistani ambassador to the United States was forced to resign amid allegations he sent a memo to Washington asking for help in preventing a supposed military coup following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The operation in a Pakistani garrison town outraged officials because they were not told about it beforehand.
Mansoor Ijaz, a US businessman of Pakistani origin, has claimed that former ambassador Husain Haqqani crafted the memo with the support of Zardari. Both Haqqani and the president have denied the allegations.
Zardari has been asked to appear before the Supreme Court in its investigation into the memo scandal. The first hearing is scheduled for December 19, and the president will submit his reply to the court if he has not returned from Dubai, Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said in Islamabad.
The US State Department has said it believes Zardari's trip to Dubai is "completely health-related" and not connected to the memo scandal.
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