Zardari vows support to gov’t in anti-terror war

Outgoing President, Asif Ali Zardari, vowed Sunday that his opposition Pakistan Peoples Party will continue to support the government of Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif to fight terrorism. 

Zardari spoke to his political supporters in the eastern city of Lahore just few days after he stepped down as the President on completion of his five-year constitutional term.

“I will standby Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to defeat those forces that wanted to weaken the country,” Zardari told several thousands supporters amid slogans “Welcome Welcome – Zardari Welcome.”

Zardari becomes Pakistan’s first president in the country’s history to complete his term and to transfer power to an elected President.

“I have set a history by ensuring smooth transition of power from one democratic government to the other,” the outgoing President said

Zardari’s address to his party supporters marked his formal joining politics and he chose Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, which is the stronghold of his rival Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The outgoing president said that he will fully participate in the politics of the country and will remain in contact with the masses.

Zardari, who was elected in 2008, said earlier he will not seek the office of the Prime Minister and will prefer to focus on strengthening his party.

An army contingent Zardari presented guard to Zardari after national anthem was played.

“I am glad to leave my office with dignity and honour on completion of my five-year term,” Asif Ali Zardari told staff of the Presidency at a dinner late Saturday.

He said he always took decisions in the interests of the country and that he devolved powers to the Parliament voluntarily.

Zardari told Geo television in his interview as the President that he will not seek to become the prime minister and will instead focus on running his party.

President Zardari is also the co-chairman of the PPP but had barred by the courts from political activities unless he had been at the Presidency.

NEW PRESIDENT: Mamnoon Hussain will take oath as Pakistan’s 12th President in Islamabad on Monday, officials said. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will administer the oath at a ceremony at the Presidency.

Mamnoon Hussain bagged 432 votes of the Electoral College in the presidential elections held on 30th of July this year. 

The seventy-three years old Mamnoon Hussain is a businessman turned politician.

He was born in the Indian city of Agra in 1940 and migrated with his family to Karachi after the partition in 1947.

Mamnoon Hussain, a leader of Pakistan Muslim League and a close confidant of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has served as Governor of Sindh in 1999.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 8 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.