President Asif Ali Zardari left for Dubai on a scheduled one-day trip on Thursday, local television stations reported, amid growing tension over a memo seeking US help in preventing a coup by the military. The president's trip comes during the worst tensions between Pakistan's civilian government and the military since a coup in 1999.
Gulf-based Pakistani sources said Zardari would make the trip for a medical check-up. "This trip will be for a follow-up medical check-up and then he'll be returning right away," an associate of Zardari said.
| Does he have a re-entry stamp on his visa? |
| "Dang, Achmed, the plane is handling like a pig. I thought we'd never get off the ground!" "Wonder what the Boss brought in his luggage. All those bags and they all sure looked heavy." |