Final words: Outgoing president vows not to run for high office
Zardari says he will now concentrate on reorganising PPP.
President Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said he was not interested in becoming either the president or the prime minister in future.
“I have served as president and now have no intention to contest for the position of the prime minster,” he told reporters at the Presidency.
Running the party’s affairs, according to him, was more important than becoming the prime minister.
“My mission will be to induct new workers and ask the old ones to retire,” he said, adding that his 11 years in solitary confinement had taught him the virtues of patience.
“I’ve learnt the ability of adopting the path of reconciliation, patience and dialogue from my stay in jail and from Benazir Bhutto. The nights spent in the jail have taught a lot where I had a lot of time to think and write. I had access to TV there and I used to watch international news channels.”
Zardari said that some people were using the judiciary for their political motives. He said his party had no intention to take to the streets and would continue its political struggle through parliament. “The era of street agitation has come to an end,” he added.
He said that there were differences within the party on the issue of delegating the authority of Article 58-2-B to the prime minister.
“I will soon prove that PPP is a major political party,” he said adding that though the party had lost one electoral battle it had not lost the war.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2013.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said he was not interested in becoming either the president or the prime minister in future.
“I have served as president and now have no intention to contest for the position of the prime minster,” he told reporters at the Presidency.
Running the party’s affairs, according to him, was more important than becoming the prime minister.
“My mission will be to induct new workers and ask the old ones to retire,” he said, adding that his 11 years in solitary confinement had taught him the virtues of patience.
“I’ve learnt the ability of adopting the path of reconciliation, patience and dialogue from my stay in jail and from Benazir Bhutto. The nights spent in the jail have taught a lot where I had a lot of time to think and write. I had access to TV there and I used to watch international news channels.”
Zardari said that some people were using the judiciary for their political motives. He said his party had no intention to take to the streets and would continue its political struggle through parliament. “The era of street agitation has come to an end,” he added.
He said that there were differences within the party on the issue of delegating the authority of Article 58-2-B to the prime minister.
“I will soon prove that PPP is a major political party,” he said adding that though the party had lost one electoral battle it had not lost the war.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2013.