Amid growing speculation over a possible shift in Pakistan’s top leadership, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly denied rumours suggesting President Asif Ali Zardari may be asked to resign or that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir is eyeing the presidency.
Speaking to The News on Friday, Sharif called the claims “mere speculations,” asserting that “Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing.”
Sharif added that the relationship between himself, Zardari, and Munir is grounded in “mutual respect” and a “shared vision for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity.”
The statement comes after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, condemned what he described as a “malicious campaign” aimed at undermining the country’s top leadership.
“We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign,” Naqvi said, adding, “I have categorically stated 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.”
Naqvi also suggested that foreign elements were involved in the misinformation effort, warning: “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.”
President Zardari was elected last year for a five-year term as part of a political arrangement that saw his support for Sharif’s prime ministership. Since then, both Zardari and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, have maintained cooperative ties with the military establishment. Bilawal has also led key diplomatic delegations, including those addressing recent tensions with India — a move seen as a sign of his trust within the power corridors.