Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has firmly rejected speculation that President Asif Ali Zardari may step down or that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir harbours ambitions to assume the presidency, calling the reports “completely baseless.”
In an interview with The News on Friday, the prime minister said, “Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in motion.” He emphasised that his relationship with President Zardari and the army chief is one of “mutual respect and a shared commitment to Pakistan’s development.”
The clarification comes amid growing rumours on social media and in some media circles suggesting potential leadership changes at the highest levels of state.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also strongly rebutted the rumours, calling them part of a “malicious campaign” against the country’s leadership. In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Naqvi said:
“We are fully aware of who is behind this narrative. There is no truth to any claim that President Zardari will resign or that the COAS seeks the presidency.”
Naqvi suggested that hostile foreign elements were behind the disinformation effort, aimed at sowing political instability.
“Do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies. We will continue to do what’s necessary to strengthen Pakistan, InshaAllah.”
Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, a senior PPP leader and former prime minister, also dismissed the rumours as “pure disinformation” and expressed full confidence in the current leadership.
The wave of denials underscores the government’s determination to push back against what it sees as politically motivated falsehoods, while projecting unity among key power holders.
President Zardari, Field Marshal Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are seen as central to Pakistan’s current political and security framework, especially after the recent tensions in the region and heightened efforts to stabilise the economy and fight terrorism.
Government officials reiterated that any attempts to destabilise national institutions through fake narratives would not succeed.
