President Asif Ali Zardari will be leaving office on Sunday. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
Zardari, who is also the co-chairman of the beleaguered Pakistan's Peoples Party (PPP), vacates the presidency on Sunday. He will be replaced the following day by Mamnoon Hussain, a businessman and close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was elected early last month..
The centre-left PPP ran a rudderless general election campaign earlier this year and suffered a defeated by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
"I will not try to become the prime minister of Pakistan," Zardari, who defied expectations by staying in office for an unprecedented five years, said in excerpts of an interview shown on Geo TV.
"In my view running the party is more important than becoming prime minister," he added.
Zardari became a controversial figure when he was once sentenced to 11 years in prison for alleged corruption, said that as the presidency was the highest office in Pakistan it would not be appropriate for him to become prime minister.
Widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, will be living in Lahore as he bids to revive the PPP's fortunes instead of his native Karachi.
Zardari, along with his son Bilawal the party chairman have their eyes set on reviving the party in Punjab. Bilawal turns 25 this month, making him eligible to run for parliament.
Zardari's spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, told AFP that the president will relocate to Lahore "to start yet another chapter in political struggle" with analysts suggesting he will try to revive the party dominated by the Bhutto-Zardari family.
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And we are not interested in you either - THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN
By seeing PPP's and his own past performance and popularity in Pakistani nation's heart from 2008 to 2013 as president of Pakistan Zardari took this decision very wisely......
our politician or people forget what they say or hear today- soon you will hear Zardari striving hard to become PM because his two PMs did not share booty sincerely specially Bradrahrain e Yousaf.
L O L they just managed to get you out from the President's house .
Zardari is not only a good politiciam but a true statesman. His party suffered election loss because of persistant propaganda by the unfriendly media and repeated assaults by the judiaciary and army. It was his mistake to run for Presidency, rather he should have stayed as party chief only.
He is the only politician who can unite liberal forces accross the country and I hope he will focus his energies on that goal.
Mr Zardari is not interested to become the PM, exactly the same as he was never interested in the Chairmanship of PPP and becoming the President of Pakistan.
Enlighten us how exactly "could" you be PM of Pakistan? If you "did" or "could" become PM of this country after what you did then there is nothing that will solve this countries problem other than indiscriminate use of chemical weapons all over.
farewell prince of darkness
@ Anon: Bahria Town.
Gee I wonder where in Lahore...
Farewell, O Emperor.
Sir, perhaps you held similar view about president office before becoming one. Pakistan is already in a very poor state. You did your best to bring us to this point. Now please don't make it worse by trying to be its premier. P.S. Your speech at the farewell lunch was good. I wish you were sincere to your own words too. Remember, you will be safe and strong if your people and country is strong. Otherwise there is no escape route to Dubai, London or New York. Ask Saddam Hussain and Qaddafi.
Y Lahore?
May Allah save us from Looters and Robberers...