“No such idea exists,” says Naqvi in response to reports that President Zardari is resigning.
A coordinated disinformation campaign against President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir was sharply condemned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday.
He wrote in a post shared on social media platform X, “I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency.”
The comments address recent propaganda and rumors that have been making the rounds on social and online media.
The leadership of the Armed Forces and the President of Pakistan have a cordial and respectful relationship. He has made it clear: “I am aware of the people disseminating these lies, their motivations, and the people who stand to gain from this propaganda,” he continued.
According to the interior minister, the COAS is only concerned with Pakistan’s stability and strength.
“To everyone involved in this story, cooperate with hostile foreign agencies however you see fit. We will take all necessary steps to restore Pakistan’s strength,” Naqvi reaffirmed.
Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, the secretary general of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), previously vehemently denied rumors that President Asif Ali Zardari would be ousted, highlighting the fact that the federal government cannot function without the PPP’s backing.
The rumors that have been spread about President Zardari are untrue. In response to mounting political speculation about a possible top-level shuffle, Bukhari declared, “The government cannot function without the PPP.”
His comments coincided with rumors that a new constitutional amendment was being considered and that President Zardari would be removed. After the Election Commission of Pakistan reinstated reserved seats in accordance with the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench ruling, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won a simple majority in the National Assembly, these rumors gained momentum. The ruling coalition now holds a two-thirds majority in the lower house after its numbers increased from 218 to 235.
Bukhari denied the rumors, claiming that these kinds of stories are the result of a lack of knowledge about constitutional law. Additionally, he made it clear that the PPP had no plans to join the federal cabinet.
Similar remarks made by PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, who flatly denied any intentions to succeed President Zardari, are echoed in Bukhari’s rebuttal.
