President Zardari | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - President Zardari’s four-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates is formally concluded on Wednesday as he held meetings with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and vice president and prime minister of UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday met the vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the two discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation. According to the President’s Secretariat, Zardari met Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, at Zabeel Palace. “The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding economic, trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE,” the handout said. Ït went on to say that President Zardari congratulated the sheikh on his two decades as Dubai’s ruler and “commended Dubai’s remarkable transformation into a global centre for tourism, finance and emerging technologies”. It further stated that both sides exchanged views on “benefiting from Dubai’s development experience, particularly in ports, logistics, infrastructure, information technology and digital financial services”. During the meeting,...

President Asif Ali Zardari met his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, with both leaders discussing ways to further deepen ties between the two countries. According to the President’s Secretariat, President Zardari, who is currently undertaking a four-day official visit to the Gulf country, met his UAE counterpart while being accompanied by a high-level delegation. “The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE,” the statement said. “They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership,” the statement said. President Zardari highlighted the significance of the UAE president’s recent visit to Pakistan and expressed “appreciation for the UAE’s continued support for strengthening bilateral ties”. “Both sides als...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the confirmation of a total of 27 additional judges of the Sindh, Lahore, and Peshawar high courts. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the president’s secretariat, the approval was given in accordance with the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP). For the Sindh High Court (SHC), the statement said the president had approved the confirmation of all 10 additional judges recommended by the JCP: Justices Miran Muhammad Shah, Tasneem Sultana, Riazat Ali Sahar, Muhammad Hasan, Abdul Hamid Bhurgi, Jan Ali Junejo, Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro, Ali Haider ‘Ada’, Muhammad Osman Ali Hadi and Muhammad Jaffer Raza. President Zardari also approved a six-month extension in the tenures of Justices Khalid Hussain Shahani and Syed Faizul Hassan Shah of the SHC, the statement added. For the Lahore High Court (LHC), President Zardari confirmed all 11 additional judges recommended by the JCP as permanent judges, namely Justices Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom, Mali...

President Asif Ali Zardari met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Wednesday in Manama, with the former reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to broadening cooperation between the two countries across political, economic, defence and cultural fields. The president had arrived in Bahrain’s capital on Tuesday on a four-day state visit. A post on the Presidency’s X account said Zardari was accorded a guard of honour upon his arrival at the royal residence, Al-Qudaibiya Palace, where the meeting was held. “Talks covered trade and investment, defence [cooperation], support for the Pakistani community, and regional and global issues,” the post said. A later statement issued by the Presidency said President Zardari and Bahrain’s king held comprehensive discussions aimed at “further strengthening the close and fraternal relationship” between the two countries. “The talks reflected a shared resolve to deepen cooperation and give practical momentum to bilateral engagement,” it said. The statement noted that Fir...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday arrived in Bahrain’s capital Manama on a four-day official visit. In a post on X, the Presidency said President Zardari was received by Bahrain National Guard Commander Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani upon their arrival. The video shared with the post showed that First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was also accompanying the president. State broadcaster PTV said on X that in addition to meeting Bahrain’s king and crown prince, President Zardari will also address a reception held at the headquarters of the Economic Development Board in Manama. Shortly after arriving, President Zardari met with the commander of Bahrain’s National Guard. The Foreign Office said earlier this week that during the visit, the president will hold meetings with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister. “The discussions will focus on bilateral, regional, and int...

The government on Monday withdrew an ordinance which the PPP alleged was promulgated without the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari, hours after the latter staged a walkout from the National Assembly to express its displeasure. Sources told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded a summary advising President Zardari to withdraw the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. In his remarks during the year’s first NA session, PPP’s Naveed Qamar had not specified which ordinance was promulgated without the president’s approval when he led a walkout by the party, saying it would not participate in proceedings until the situation was addressed. Sources in the PPP, however, had confirmed to Dawn he was referring to an ordinance related to special economic zones. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, meanwhile, said that nowadays there was an e-office through which files were approved online. “This ordinance was also approved. Staff to staff, it was considered approved,” he said in a statement. ...

President Asif Ali Zardari met Iraqi President Dr Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid at Baghdad Palace on Sunday, a statement from the Presidency said. The president, who is expected to meet senior Iraqi leadership during the trip, arrived in Iraq on Saturday night, where he was received by Iraq’s Culture Minister, Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani, upon his arrival in Baghdad. According to the statement, President Zardari received a guard of honour upon his arrival at the palace, where he was scheduled to have lunch and a one-on-meeting with his Iraqi opposite number. The pair expressed satisfaction over growing diplomatic momentum from high-level exchanges. “The president noted that current levels of bilateral trade do not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Iraq economic, cultural and security relations,” the statement read. “He highlighted opportunities for expanding trade, investment, agriculture and defence production sectors, besides information technology, construction, pharmaceuticals and related industries.” Preside...

President Asif Ali Zardari will be undertaking an official visit to Iraq from December 20-24, during which he will hold high-level meetings with the Iraqi leadership to review bilateral ties and explore ways to strengthen cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the FO, President Zardari is visiting the Middle Eastern country at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid. The visit underscores the “longstanding, brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iraq, rooted in shared bonds of faith, culture, and mutual respect”, the FO said. It added that during his meetings with the Iraqi leadership, President Zardari will review bilateral relations between the two countries and explore ways to further strengthen cooperation across key areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, energy, reconstruction, manpower, technology, education and people-to-people exchanges. The discussions will also cover region...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday tasked PPP lawmakers and members with commencing preparations for the local body polls in Punjab. The local body polls are likely to be held in Punjab next year after some amendments to the local government law. Under Article 140-A of the Constitution and Section 219(4) of the Elections Act, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to hold elections within 120 days of the expiry of the term of the local government institutions. In April 2019, the then PTI-led Punjab government dissolved the local government institutions, which were later restored by the Supreme Court and subsequently completed their term on December 31, 2021. The elections were supposed to be held by the end of April 2022, but this was not possible because the provincial government kept amending the local government law repeatedly. President Zardari arrived in Lahore on Friday evening and met party leaders today at Bilawal House, directing them to enhance their public interaction. Punjab Govern...

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...