Nawaz to host hearty send-off for Zardari

As a protocol every outgoing president attends farewell ceremonies.

ISLAMABAD:

President Asif Ali Zardari will get an honourable protocol upon completion of his five-year tenure and be given a state farewell by Prime Minister Nawaz on Thursday.

Invitations of the farewell lunch have been issued to dignitaries including provincial governors, chief ministers, chief of the army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), however, has decided not to attend the luncheon. According to PTI leader Shireen Mazari, the decision was taken by the party unanimously.



From Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and other PPP leaders and federal ministers have been invited.

“The president was pleased to give a confirmation for this luncheon by prime minister, deeming it a democratic norm performed by government,” President’s Spokesman Farhatullah Babar told The Express Tribune.

“President Zardari deserves the credit for leading the country to a democratic era, where every political force is willingly performing the constitutional and democratic norms,” Babar added.

President Zardari has instructed his team not to schedule too many gatherings, meetings and farewells for him till September 8, which is the last date of his term as president.

Despite his negative popularity among the masses and his political adversaries, Zardari is the only president who remained a powerful head of the state with two prime ministers who dutifully followed his orders.



So far, eleven presidents have served Pakistan since the introduction of the post in 1956. The office was established when Pakistan was declared as a republic with the adoption of the 1956 Constitution, with Iskander Mirza being the first president.

However, this is the first time in the history of Pakistan that a new president has been elected before the departure of the elected president.

State protocol for outgoing president

“Every outgoing president attends farewell ceremonies arranged in his honour by parliament and prime minister’s house and receives a guard of honour on the day of his term’s conclusion,” said Farhatullah Babar.

“President Zardari would leave the presidency with some party fellows and is scheduled to travel to Lahore. However, next morning on September 9, president will be in again Islamabad to attend the oath taking ceremony of incoming president,” Babar said, adding that Zardari would go back to Lahore and stay at the newly built Bilawal House there.

The new president will assume office after taking oath from the chief justice of Pakistan under the third schedule of the 1973 Constitution.

A guard of honour will be given by a contingent representing three forces, equally headed by a major rank army official. Incoming president will then be greeted by the presidency administration and official team.

After taking oath, the newly elected president would visit the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum to pay tributes and offer fatiha.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2013.