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Nobody sought my resignation, says Zardari
Amidst continuing tensions between Pakistan’s Government and the powerful army over the memo scandal, President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no one had sought his resignation to defuse the political crisis, making light of suggestions that the military had offered him an “escape” route.
In a related development, controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has set several conditions for appearing before the judicial panel probing the memo scandal, including a “guarantee of safe passage” and the provision of securityduring his stay in Islamabad.
“No one has asked for my resignation till now, I’ll tell you when they ask for it,” Zardari said in his first interview after Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz made public the alleged memo that had sought US help to stave off a possible coup in Pakistan.
“I don’t think anyone in Pakistan is so innocent that he will ask for my resignation,” the President said in the interview with Geo News channel.
“What will they do with my resignation? I have given my powers to parliament. Who will take them back from parliament?” he asked. Zardari’s remarks came against the backdrop of widespread speculation that the army was pressuring him to quit over the alleged memo.
Meanwhile, in an email sent to the commission appointed by the Supreme Court, Mansoor Ijaz said he would not be able to appear before the panel “until sometime after the middle of January” as he was currently on holiday with his family and would return home by January 9. The judicial panel recently sent summons to several persons, including Ijaz, to appear before it at the next hearing to be held on January 9. Ijaz said he was ready to waive his rights to privacy, surrender his BlackBerry sets and give his two PIN numbers for collection of data.
However, he said in his email that “proper provisions” should be made for his security in Islamabad and that he should be given “guarantee of safe passage while going into and out of Pakistan”. Ijaz said he did not “intend to stay for more than one or two days” in Pakistan and that the panel should complete questioning him “within the shortest possible timeframe”.
Amidst continuing tensions between Pakistan’s Government and the powerful army over the memo scandal, President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no one had sought his resignation to defuse the political crisis, making light of suggestions that the military had offered him an “escape” route.
In a related development, controversial Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has set several conditions for appearing before the judicial panel probing the memo scandal, including a “guarantee of safe passage” and the provision of securityduring his stay in Islamabad.
“No one has asked for my resignation till now, I’ll tell you when they ask for it,” Zardari said in his first interview after Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz made public the alleged memo that had sought US help to stave off a possible coup in Pakistan.
“I don’t think anyone in Pakistan is so innocent that he will ask for my resignation,” the President said in the interview with Geo News channel.
“What will they do with my resignation? I have given my powers to parliament. Who will take them back from parliament?” he asked. Zardari’s remarks came against the backdrop of widespread speculation that the army was pressuring him to quit over the alleged memo.
Meanwhile, in an email sent to the commission appointed by the Supreme Court, Mansoor Ijaz said he would not be able to appear before the panel “until sometime after the middle of January” as he was currently on holiday with his family and would return home by January 9. The judicial panel recently sent summons to several persons, including Ijaz, to appear before it at the next hearing to be held on January 9. Ijaz said he was ready to waive his rights to privacy, surrender his BlackBerry sets and give his two PIN numbers for collection of data.
However, he said in his email that “proper provisions” should be made for his security in Islamabad and that he should be given “guarantee of safe passage while going into and out of Pakistan”. Ijaz said he did not “intend to stay for more than one or two days” in Pakistan and that the panel should complete questioning him “within the shortest possible timeframe”.
