How Zardari Managed To Get Gen Musharraf To Resign As Pakistan President

Pakistan’s present President Asif Ali Zardari managed his first term by skilfully getting then incumbent Pervez Musharraf to resign in August 2008 by securing the backing of his successor as Army chief, and then, outmanoeuvring coalition ally Nawaz Sharif, his former aide has revealed.

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While Zardari’s PPP and Nawaz Sharif's PML-N had sought to impeach erstwhile military ruler Musharraf in August 2008 after winning the February 2008 elections, it was getting Musharraf's handpicked successor as Army chief, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, on their side that did the trick, Zardari's then spokesperson Farhatullah Babar reports in his memoirs, the News reported.

In “The Zardari Presidency”, Babar says Zardari, who was then the PPP co-chair, broached the issue of the potential ousting of Musharraf with Kayani. Kayani, who was appointed the army vice chief in October 2007, setting the way for him to take over command when Musharraf, as long promised, shed his uniform in November that year, had no objections to the move.