Not interested in becoming Pakistan PM: Zardari
Zardari's spokesperson says the President will reside in Lahore after stepping down.
President Asif Ali Zardari will be leaving office on Sunday. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
ISLAMBAD:
Outgoing President Asif Ali Zardari said in comments aired Saturday that he will not seek to become prime minister and will instead focus on leading his party after stepping down.
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.
Outgoing President Asif Ali Zardari said in comments aired Saturday that he will not seek to become prime minister and will instead focus on leading his party after stepping down.
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.