News
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Hundred meanings to ailing Zardari’s ‘departure’By Raja Riaz
ISLAMABAD: The sudden departure of President Asif Ali Zardari to Dubai has given a new strength to conspiracy theorists and speculation is rife all over the country, especially in the capital, as ‘conspirators’ have come with a thousand reasons to explain his journey.
The president left Pakistan suddenly on Tuesday and his visit was totally unplanned. The reason given by the authorities was that he (Zardari) was suffering from heart pains and needed a thorough check-up. Informed circles say that President Zardari developed a heart problem about six years ago while in jail from being implicated in corruption cases initiated by the Nawaz Sharif regime-appointed NAB chairman, Saifur Rehman. Since then he has been on medication.The information gathered by Daily Times reveals that the president complained of pains in his chest in the night between Monday and Tuesday (December 5 and 6). His doctor conducted a medical check-up and advised him to go abroad for treatment. Arrangements were underway when some other ‘forces’ having a ‘say’ in the affairs ‘requested’ him not to go out of the country and stay here. They ‘advised’ him to receive treatment here. In the hours after midnight, the problem was aggravated and he was rushed to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC). He was examined there thoroughly and doctors found his condition deteriorating and advised him to get a complete check-up. The Presidency preferred to get a detailed check-up from Dubai, where the children of the president are residing. He was ‘allowed’ to go and a special air ambulance was chartered from Singapore to carry him. The president left the country mid-day on Tuesday.
His journey gave an open field to ‘conspiracy theory experts’ and they concocted several stories. At one time, the rumour of a ‘mild coup’ was circulating. It was due to a Twitter post by a Pakistani journalist based in Washington. A TV channel also telecasted a ticker in this regard for a short time.These ‘experts’ linked the departure of the president with memogate scandal as the Supreme Court is considering several petitions on the issue, including one by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. These people were of the view that Asif Ali Zardari’s trusted man, Husain Haqqani, the former ambassador to the US, has hatched a conspiracy against the armed forces and sought the help of the Americans to avert a military coup in Pakistan. They were of the view that the ambassador could not do this until he had the approval of his boss - the president. They claimed that it was almost proved that the top man of the country was involved in a scam and had left the country to avert any action against him.
It was also buzzing in the capital that the president had got a safe exist and had left the country, never to return. The foreign media also contributed to such reports as a US-based paper reported, “A former US government official told The Cable today that when President Barack Obama spoke with Zardari over the weekend regarding NATO’s killing of the 24 Pakistani soldiers, Zardari was ‘incoherent’. The Pakistani president had been feeling increased pressure over the memogate scandal. “The noose was getting tighter - it was only a matter of time,” the former official said, expressing the growing expectation inside the US government that Zardari may be on the way out.”
Another report read, “A former US official said that parts of the US government were informed that Zardari had a “minor heart attack” on Monday night and flew to Dubai via air ambulance today. He may have an angioplasty on Wednesday and may also resign on account of ill health.”
Another section was speculating an ‘in-house change’ and, according to them, the departure of Asif Zardari was part of a ‘deal’ as some were not in the mood to spare the PPP-led coalition government on the memogate issue. They launched the theory that the powerful corridors had agreed upon a civil setup by the PPP, sans Zardari. They were heard saying that President Zardari’s separate meetings with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate Farooq H Naik, and Interior Minister Rehman Malik were to evolve a strategy.Another group in Islamabad is of the view that the NATO strike, its consequences within the country and the change in foreign policy, has annoyed the Americans. The boycott of the Bonn Conference has further aggravated the already inflamed situation between Pakistan, NATO and the Americans. The situation has put a lot of pressure on the president.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk