After intense domestic pressure and protests to call off his visit in the wake of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s lamentable statement in India that Pakistan was exporting terror, it is now official that President of Pakistan is about to visit Britain this week. Asif Ali Zardari left for Paris yesterday for meetings with French leaders, and plans to proceed to Britain on Tuesday. While Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, director general of ISI had cancelled his visit to the UK to hold high level security consultations with British intelligence officials as a mark of protest, throwing the ball in presidency’s court.
Law minister Babar Awan, whose PhD degree from US is subject of considerable controversy has stated that those who are opposing President’s visit are part of the Indian lobby. In response to Babar Awan’s statement, a senior leader of Jamiat e Ulmai Islam (F) strongly opposed the Zardari visit and said that the Indian lobby is sitting inside the President’s House.
Protesters on the streets of Karachi burnt effigies of Mr. Cameron, urging Mr Zardari not to continue with the British trip in view of both Cameron’s comments and history’s destructive ever floods. Likewise Coalition partner of the PPP led federal government, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), and major opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), made it clear that Mr. Zardari should cancel his U.K. visit and spend this money on the rehabilitation of flood victims. Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan warned that a strong protest would be staged in London if President goes ahead with his visit and remarked that, “Nero should not fiddle while the Rome burns,â€.
Dawn Editorial on the issue quotes:
Perhaps it was inevitable that a government which appears largely to have surrendered the national security and foreign policy domains to the army high command would eventually find itself torn in opposite directions.
Three countries have attacked Pakistan recently over the existence of groups here that may or may not have official support and which launch attacks outside the country. These are Afghanistan, the UK and the US. That the fiercest diplomatic reaction has been reserved for Afghanistan and the softest for the US tells a story of its own.
One of the important, controversial and probably the only objective of this visit would be the formal launch of his 21 year old son’s political career as co-chairman of PPP in Birmingham International Convention Center. Bilawal Zardari will address a major rally of British Pakistanis on August 7th as a beginning of his political journey although he will have to wait to turn 25 to contest an election.
Another significant task could be the sale of controversial property of Surrey as there were rumors last week that President, who allegedly owns a lavish palace, is going to sale it and Indian investors are interested in buying.
This is an official visit of president of Pakistan so it is obvious that the expenses will be paid by government which is the major apprehension in Pakistan as it is battling to cope with the worst ever flood of history triggered by torrential rains throughout the country.
Image: Dawn
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@ Haider why is it that everytime someone slips on an indian road its ISI conspiracy. Or terror has been exported (and stamped) from Pakistan to make that guy take an unvoluntary dive on asphalt. What a shame. Such a big country and such useless good for nothing people.
Pakistan needs to be very clear on its stance. It extremly unfortunate that there lies no cohesion between the Army, Executive and Judiciary. The country is in shambles. The opposition prefers sleep over action. We are giving opportunities to our foes to discredit Pakistan. There is a strong feeling in the rest of Muslim World that US/NATO forces will take over Pakistan and neutralize its Nukes. (They are much safer than the ones in India though). If the government just defends itself for all its ill actions its no use. All the ministers have embraced their responsibility as personal servants of Mr Zardari. I am sure they know that too. Perhaps they also know that they make a mockery out of them and their master whenever they open their mouth. Shame is for the less fortunate. Why feel humiliated when every day is a pay day. Live as if theres no tommorrow. Well more powerful before them thought the same way. Their bones rot in their graves now. Their siblings dont even care. Who would want to associate with corrupt ancestors. Maybe time will teach a lesson to all those cronies.
Great expectations and almost no results from judiciary yet. No one seems to be bold enough to take it head on. There must be some power at play. With the ease Mr Zardari left the weeping nation that had a plane crash and a devastating flooding tells a million stories.
The problem with this government is that they are not even liked abroad. Where do they think they will run. Strange! Previously the corruption happend but in discretion. The could fool other the rest of the world. This time its different.
Mr Cameron’s comments had sparked a campaign by senior army figures who want him to cancel the president Zardari’s visit to meet the Prime Minister at Chequers. The head of the ISI intelligence agency Lt. Gen Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, had earlier cancelled a delegation of senior officials to meet their security counterparts in London. The ISI cancellation is a clear signal of their displeasure and that they do not want him [Zardari] to go. Amid fears that security co-operation between Britain and Pakistan could be hit by the row, British officials sought to play down the significance of the spat, insisting “no long-term damage†had been done by the prime minister’s remarks in India last week.
Hend do you think if we have a corrupt leader we are asleep? we will first eliminate all internal threats and kill all the traitors then we will Inshallah conquer India soon..just wait…India should stop whinning
hey hendou mista watch this:
and if you have any shame left, you will think twice before maligning pakistan. you are either a nutcase or some intruder planted. wow nice things coming in my head to share with you!!!
come on man give him a break. he is doing the worst job on earth that is of running your country by proxy..let him go have fun…lil shopping and lil entertainment…and lil nice company…pakistan can wait….india can provide some water meanwhile if you need