Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will likely need two weeks to rest in Dubai following medical treatment there before he returns home, the prime minister said, in comments that could add to speculation about the leader’s health and whether he is losing his grip on power.
Questions about the president’s future come as Pakistan is navigating a rough patch in relations with its most important ally, the United States, following NATO airstrikes last month that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The government called more than a dozen of its envoys back to Islamabad amid the crisis for a rare 2-day meeting that started Monday. The attack has pushed the already strained U.S.-Pakistani relationship close to the breaking point, imperiling Washington’s efforts to get Islamabad to cooperate on the Afghan war. Turmoil surrounding the Pakistani president would further complicate matters.
Zardari flew to Dubai last week for treatment related to a heart condition, setting off rumors he was fleeing army attempts to oust him following a scandal that has already forced the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. to resign.
The government initially said Zardari’s trip was routine and he would be home in a few days. But reports have surfaced since then that the president’s condition was more serious, with some unnamed officials saying he suffered a mini stroke.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied the president had a stroke in an interview with the BBC late Sunday. He said Zardari needed medical attention because he was “exhausted.”
“That was the reason and now his tests are clear, and he is improving,” said Gilani. “I did talk to him, and he has been talking to other Cabinet ministers as well. He sounded very well.”
Questions about the president’s future come as Pakistan is navigating a rough patch in relations with its most important ally, the United States, following NATO airstrikes last month that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The government called more than a dozen of its envoys back to Islamabad amid the crisis for a rare 2-day meeting that started Monday. The attack has pushed the already strained U.S.-Pakistani relationship close to the breaking point, imperiling Washington’s efforts to get Islamabad to cooperate on the Afghan war. Turmoil surrounding the Pakistani president would further complicate matters.
Zardari flew to Dubai last week for treatment related to a heart condition, setting off rumors he was fleeing army attempts to oust him following a scandal that has already forced the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. to resign.
The government initially said Zardari’s trip was routine and he would be home in a few days. But reports have surfaced since then that the president’s condition was more serious, with some unnamed officials saying he suffered a mini stroke.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied the president had a stroke in an interview with the BBC late Sunday. He said Zardari needed medical attention because he was “exhausted.”
“That was the reason and now his tests are clear, and he is improving,” said Gilani. “I did talk to him, and he has been talking to other Cabinet ministers as well. He sounded very well.”
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