No such idea exists: Pak Interior Minister on Zardari’s removal

Islamabad: Political uncertainty continues to grip Pakistan as President Asif Ali Zardari’s fate hangs in balance following several reports which indicate that he might be removed, overthrown or deposed with Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir replacing him.

Amid apprehensions and fear, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had to take to social media on Thursday, terming “rumours” as “malicious campaign”.

“I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency,” he wrote in a post on X.

The Interior Minister stated that the sole focus of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is the strength and stability of Pakistan. Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Secretary General, Hussein Bukhari had also rejected rumours about any move to replace Zardari, emphasising that the federal government cannot operate without PPP’s support.

Bukhari’s remarks came amidst reports suggesting President Zardari’s ouster following a likely new constitutional amendment.

It is relevant to mention that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had secured a simple majority in the National Assembly on July 2 following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) reinstatement of reserved seats in line with the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench verdict. The ruling coalition’s number rose from 218 to 235, thereby granting it a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This would add strength to the ruling PML-N, reducing its reliance on the PPP. At the centre, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI’s) position will further weaken.

Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui also categorically denied any plans to replace Asif Ali Zardari.

Experts, however, highlight past military coups and reckon that one of Pakistan’s gravest weaknesses is its perennial political instability. They point out that Pakistani civil administration’s continuous dependence on the armed forces to provide an elixir appears to be sustaining its image of a praetorian or garrison state.

Recently, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that Asim Munir had shown “strategic leadership and decisive role,” during India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’. The newly-minted Field Marshal also repaid the compliment, extending his “profound gratitude” to Pakistan’s political leadership for its critical role in the four-day conflict with India.

IANS