Asif Ali Zardari arrives in Pakistan after ending self-exile

KARACHI - Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Pakistan today (Friday) after spending 18 months out of the country.

Asif Zardari landed at Karachi Airport in a special flight at 03:00 pm for which PPP had organised special camps to welcome their co-chairman.

Video: CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah meets his party's co chairperson Asif Zardari at Old Airport #Karachi pic.twitter.com/O3jv51owi6

— خالد (@khalid_pk) December 23, 2016

The Sindh government has also chalked out traffic plan for Karachiites as a major traffic blockade is expected on Shahra-e-Faisal after Zardari's arrival.

Meanwhile, PPP-Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted picture of former president Asif Zardari ahead of Pakistan-bound travel.

President @AAliZardari, begins his journey home. pic.twitter.com/6fqF3L5M0E

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 23, 2016

The former president abruptly left the country on June 24, 2015 after a blunt diatribe against the military establishment for crossing its domain.

Zardari during a hard-hitting speech in Fata on June 16 warned the establishment to refrain from character assassination of political parties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI15W08dGBs

"If you do not stop, I will come out with a list of accused generals since Pakistan's creation," he said.

"Stop victimising us or we will tear you down brick by brick. We do not want to undermine your establishment. So be advised… You have been warned, you have been warned, you have been warned," Zardari added categorically stirring controversy among the civil-military corridors.

Ever since then he has been travelling between Dubai and USA. Soon after PPP hinted at the possibility of his return, political observers synchronised his arrival with departure of former Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on November 29 however, PPP dispelled any such synchronisation and clarified that Zardari was out of the country for his treatment and he could return to Pakistan any time as it was his own country.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday expressed that he was happy on the arrival of Asif Ali Zardari.

DIG police Karachi also issued an alternative traffic plan in the purview of traffic load in the city today.