Pakistan president goes to Dubai amid new crisis

Military v. Pakistan

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari was in Dubai Thursday for a brief scheduled visit, an aide said, against a backdrop of mounting tension as the government faces new challenges to its rule.

The one-day trip came after a confrontation between Pakistan’s civilian leaders and the military over an probe into the government’s role in a scandal centred on a mysterious memo that sought US help in curbing the army’s power.

“President has gone to Dubai to attend a wedding and may also have routine medical check-up,” a close aide told AFP.

“He will return tomorrow (Friday),” he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Zardari, who has a long-standing heart condition, spent more than a week in a Dubai hospital for treatment last month in a trip which triggered a frenzy of speculation and coup rumours.

The aide said the latest trip was a “private visit” and not linked to the crisis which erupted Wednesday when the army reacted angrily to criticism from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over a probe into the “Memogate” furore.

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