Tribune Take: Who is behind the Zardari rumours?

As rumour mills churn in the nation's capital, Muhammad Ziauddin says the spy agencies could be behind the rumours.

In today’s episode of the Tribune Take we address the question of who is behind the rumours of President Asif Ali Zardari's resignation.

Muhammad Ziauddin, executive editor The Express Tribune, says Pakistan's spy agencies could be behind circulating the rumour that President Zardari's trip to Dubai wasn't solely for health reasons.

An American blog reported on Tuesday that President Asif Ali Zardari may step down due to his poor health condition. In its report, The Cable quoted a former US government official saying that when US President Barack Obama spoke with Zardari recently regarding Nato’s killing of the 24 Pakistani soldiers, Zardari was “incoherent.”

The report claimed that Zardari was “feeling increased pressure over the Memogate scandal”, and quoted the official as having said: “The noose was getting tighter — it was only a matter of time,” expressing the growing expectation inside the US government that Zardari may be stepping down.

Ziauddin says although these rumours could have been spread just to get the nation accustomed to the idea of the resignation, such rumours have been floating around Islamabad for the entirety of the Zardari Presidency, and thus could mean little.

Read Muhammad Ziauddin's articles here.

The Tribune Take daily news web show will appear on the tribune.com.pk home page.

The Take will feature in-depth interviews and analysis with editors and reporters who are covering the major stories, exploring front page events and major ledes. The news analysis covers the way The Express Tribune examines a story, how we cover it and why.