LONDON: President Asif Ali Zardari has shortened his Europe visit and will return to Pakistan on September 8 after cancelling a planned two-day trip to France, according to sources.
President Zardari completed his engagements in Britain and is scheduled to leave London’s Luton Airport for Islamabad. He was due to travel to France after concluding the UK leg of his tour.
Sources in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said the president had initially planned to stay in London for another three to four days but decided to return earlier amid growing political debate at home over the creation of new provinces and administrative units.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal recently proposed dividing the country into 12 to 15 provinces and called for a national dialogue on administrative restructuring.
The proposal has drawn opposition from the PPP, a key coalition partner of the ruling PML-N. The party has rejected any move to divide Sindh, saying new provinces can only be created through constitutional procedures, political consensus and public support.
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President Zardari arrived in London on September 1 after spending five days in Austria on a private visit. He was accompanied by former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain and Senator Saleem Mandviwalla.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari later joined him in London. Sources said the two would stay in the UK for about another week and would not return to Pakistan with the president.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also met President Zardari during his London stay. The meeting, along with consultations between the president and senior PPP leaders, came amid speculation about the political implications of the visit.
The Sindh Assembly subsequently passed a resolution opposing the creation of new provinces.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah rejected reports of tensions within the government over the president’s travel. He described meetings between Mr Naqvi and President Zardari as routine.
