Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has firmly rebuffed rumours that President Asif Ali Zardari is being asked to resign or that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, is allegedly aspiring to assume the presidency.

 

Naqvi took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, writing that “we are fully aware” of who is behind the “malicious campaign” targeting the president, Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif, and the army chief.

 

“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 clarified.

 

Naqvi underscored that the President enjoys a strong and respectful relationship with the Armed Forces’ leadership. “I know who is spreading these falsehoods, why they are doing so, and who stands to benefit from this propaganda,” he quoted Zardari as saying. 

 

The interior minister emphasised that the sole focus of the COAS is the strength and stability of Pakistan, “nothing else”.

 

“To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies. As for us, we will do whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah (sic),” he said.

 

While some media reports suggest that it all started with a couple of journalists “revealing” on social media that a plan was underway to remove Zardari for allegedly leaking the specific meeting conversation regarding the plan to build new Canals from the Indus River, others claim the rumours began circulating after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) obtained a simple majority in the National Assembly (NA) after the reinstatement of reserved seats by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following the top court’s Constitutional Bench verdict.

 

Meanwhile, speaking to a private media outlet today, PML-N Senator Irfanullah Siddiqui also denied reports of Zardari’s resignation.

 

“Reports that Zardari is resigning, Imran’s sons are coming, Nawaz Sharif is going to Adiala… these are not news. They are bogus stories,” he said.

 

Siddiqui added, “Zardari has not created any difficulties for the government, and understands his constitutional responsibilities as head of state.”

 

The Senator claimed that the PML-N had “no trouble” working with the president and there was no credible reason to remove him from office.

 

“We have a coalition with the PPP. Why would we bring down this system,” he questioned.