Asif Ali Zardari is in Turkey now a days.
Although he does not hold any governmental position and only became co-chief of PPP after the death of his wife, his visit gathers real importance, for the future of Pakistani politics.
Turkey has had old cultural, political and religious ties with Pakistan. It seems to have more closer ties with president Musharraf , who has spent his early childhood in Turkey when his father was stationed there in the embassy. Infact Pervez Musharraf also claims to speak broken Turkish.
How all these 3 factors seem connected to each other now?? Well it is rumored in Pakistani circles that Zardari is arranging a deal with Turkish authorities for Musharraf’s exile to Ankara.
Musharraf vehemently denies this claim, saying he would continue serving as the President of Pakistan. Let’s see what political deals or no deals we are going to witness in the near future.
==========================================================================
ISLAMABAD (PTI) – Ruling Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has embarked on a six-day foreign visit that will take him to Turkey, sparking speculation that he may discuss the possibility of President Pervez Musharraf going into exile with the Turkish leadership.
Zardari, who was in Dubai over the past few days to meet his family, Thursday flew to Turkey, where he will call on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul.
It has been widely speculated here that the beleaguered President might opt to go into exile in Turkey, though Musharraf recently dismissed such reports and said he had no plans to leave Pakistan.
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar too dismissed reports that Zardari’s visit to Turkey was linked to this issue. However, The News daily quoted unspecified sources as saying that Musharraf’s future could figure in Zardari’s talks with the Turkish leadership.
Zardari will also attend a lunch hosted by Education Minister Huseyin Celik, who is co-chairman of the Pakistan-Turkey Joint Economic Commission, said a statement issued by the PPP.
Zardari will call on former Turkish premier Tansu Ciller and meet representatives of the Turkish business community during his visit.
From Turkey, Zardari will travel to Athens in Greece to deliver the keynote address at the Socialist International Congress on July 1. He will speak on the issue “Resolving Conflicts and Overcoming Instability”.
Zardari will travel to Dubai on July 3 for a day before returning to Pakistan.
