President Zardari | Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted senators from coalition partners and thanked them, as well as President Asif Ali Zardari, for their cooperation on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment and “fully supporting this national thought”. According to state-run APP, the premier hosted a dinner for the senators — a development that came after the standing committees on law and justice of both houses of Parliament approved the proposed legislation earlier today. The bill for the amendment, which has been criticised particularly over its clauses pertaining to changes in the judiciary and Article 243 (command of the armed forces) of the Constitution, was tabled in the Senate yesterday amid the opposition’s outcry. Prior to that, the PM had held several meetings with the representatives of the allied parties with the proposed legislation on the agenda. According to the APP report, addressing his guests today, the PM said he was thankful to the heads of all allied parties and President Zardari. “All allied partie...

President Asif Ali Zardari met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday and offered to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence and defence production between Pakistan and Qatar, a statement issued by the Presidency said. According to the statement, the Qatari emir “responded positively” to the offer and said he would instruct the relevant authorities to initiate discussions with Pakistan in this regard immediately. The bilateral meeting was held on sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development, which is being held in Qatari capital Doha from November 4 to 6. President Zardari is representing Pakistan at the moot. The Presidency’s statement said that the Qatari leader also “expressed satisfaction at the recent Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence agreement”. “It was a welcome and timely step that should have happened earlier,” the statement quoted al-Thani as saying. He also noted Pakistan’s “unique position as a country maintaining strategic ties with China, th...

President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday that the violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) by India could not and would not succeed, and warned against the weaponisation of water. India in April held the IWT in abeyance following the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 — an incident New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without evidence. Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an “act of war”, noting the IWT had no provision for unilateral suspension. It later said it was considering court action, citing a violation of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. President Zardari addressed the issue while speaking at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar today, saying: “We in Pakistan, on one hand, face the brunt of the impact of climate change, which has caused devastation for our people in the form of large-scale floods … on the other hand, we face a new threat in the form of water weaponisation. Water, which all the world knows, is an equal right o...

President Asif Ali Zardari discussed the country’s political situation with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday night amid the continuing spat between federal coalition partners PPP and PML-N. The PPP and the PML-N’s Punjab leadership have been engaged in a war of words for the past many days over issues ranging from flood compensation to water rights in the context of the Cholistan canals project. The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, has been particularly incensed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, whose party is also leading the federal government. Concerted efforts have been made by leading figures, such as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari, who have stepped in to defuse tensions, with the latter also calling on Naqvi to play his role for a possible rapprochement. A statement issued from the President’s Secretariat late at night said Zardari discussed national and global issues with Foreign Minister Dar, National Assembly Speaker A...

President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Chengdu on Friday to kick off his 10-day official visit to China, where he will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership on different issues including regional peace and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A statement issued today from the President’s Secretariat said that he was received by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Sichaun Vice Governor Huang Ruixue on arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong were also present to welcome President Zardari. “During the visit, the president will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership and senior officials to further strengthen Pakistan-China relations, enhance cooperation in diverse fields and advance shared objectives under the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the statement said. The Foreign Office (FO) had earlier said the president would visit Chengdu, Shanghai and Xinjiang to hold meetings with th...

Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Naval Forces, Major General Humaid Abdulla Alremeithi, was on Monday awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) by President Asif Ali Zardari at a special investiture ceremony at the Presidency. A press release from the President’s Secretariat quoted Zardari as saying that the award was “in recognition of his outstanding services and contributions”. “He (President Zardari) added that the commander’s visit reflected the enduring fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, which stand as a testament to the two countries’ shared commitment to deepening cooperation in all fields,” the press release read. According to the press release, the president appreciated the confidence the UAE’s Navy placed in the professional expertise of the Pakistan Navy and expressed interest in further collaboration, stating that they remain ready to support their Emirati counterpart’s manpower requirements in the future. President Zardari also highlighted the extraordinary and...

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari highlighted the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Austria, and Germany as he greeted their recently appointed ambassadors at Aiwan-e-Sadr, ARY News reported. During the meeting, the appointed ambassadors formally presented their diplomatic credentials. Pakistan Armed Forces celebrated the ceremony with a guard of honour. In […]

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived at Shaheed Major Rizwan Tahir’s residence to express solidarity with the grieving family on the martyrdom of the officer in a recent counter-terrorism operation in Noshki, Balochistan, ARY News reported. Major Rizwan Tahir sacrificed his life in martyrdom during a recent mission in Noshki. During the mission, an improvised […]

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari stressed the importance of a united response from the public to climate change by promoting the ‘Green Pakistan Programme’, as unpredictable weather patterns were causing disasters across the country, most recently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where cloudburst-triggered flash floods led to significant damage. “At this critical time, when climate change has […]

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday rebutted rumours of President Asif Ali Zardari being asked to resign, terming it a “malicious campaign”. “We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the chief of army staff,” Naqvi wrote on 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,” he asserted. “The president of Pakistan enjoys a strong and respectful relationship with the leadership of the armed forces,” the minister said. He quoted President Zardari as having “clearly” stated: “I know who is spreading these falsehoods, why they are doing so, and who stands to benefit from this propaganda.” Naqvi stressed that the “sole focus” of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir was Pakistan’s strength and stability, and “nothing else”. “To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wi...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary and Member of the National Assembly, Shazia Marri, on Tuesday, strongly refuted rumors suggesting that President Asif Ali Zardari is planning to resign, calling them “fabricated and baseless.” In an official statement, Shazia Marri said, “The rumors of President Asif Ali Zardari’s resignation are entirely unfounded and based […]

ISLAMABAD: Just before the eve of the International Day of Parliamentarism, President Asif Ali Zardari highlighted the vital role of the Pakistani Parliament in defending inclusive governance, democratic values, and uprightness, ARY News reported. In his statement on June 30, President Zardari specified the importance of Parliament as the “sovereign representative of the people and […]

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with envoys and diplomats from multiple nations at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday. During the gathering, Eid-ul-Azha felicitations were shared between the president and the representatives of allied countries. President Zardari expressed gratitude to the ambassadors for attending the President House during Eid-ul-Adha and participating in the festivities. On […]

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday accorded his assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, according to a notification by the Presidency shared by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on X. The bill, which seeks to protect the rights of children and eventually eradicate marriages of children under the age of 18, reached the presidency on May 27 after sailing through both houses of parliament. However, the move attracted strong opposition from religious segments of society, with the CII ruling that classifying marriage under the age of 18 as rape did not conform with Islamic law. “The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament,” the notification read. “Pakistan has reached a milestone in the enactment of important legislation against child marriages,” Rehman said in a statement. She said that the approval of the bill was successful despite resistance from various sections, adding that President Zardari signed the bill despite...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday visited the Civil Military Hospital (CMH) to inquire after the health of personnel of armed forces and civilians who were injured in the Indian aggression. The president was accompanied by Minister for Interior Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Commander 10 Corps and administration authorities of the hospital, President House Media Wing […]