Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will forgo salary amid economic crisis
Pak President Asif Ali Zardari considered it necessary not to burden the national exchequer.
Islamabad:
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday announced his decision to forgo his salary while in office, citing the economic challenges facing the country, The Express Tribune reported.
A statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat said, “In view of the current economic challenges, President Zardari has decided that he will not draw his presidential salary. He took this decision to encourage prudent financial management in the country.”
The statement said the President considered it necessary not to burden the national exchequer and preferred to forgo his salary.
In a similar move, newly-sworn Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also decided not to take salary during his service period, The Express Tribune reported.
Taking to social media platform X, Naqvi said he was committed to serving the country “in every possible way” in challenging times.
On March 10, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan, officially taking charge as head of state for the historic second time, Dawn reported.
Notably, excluding military chiefs, Zardari is the only civilian candidate to be elected as head of state for the second time. Previously, he served as the President of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Zardari on Saturday had secured 411 electoral votes to defeat his rival and Pashtunkhawa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who could get only 181 votes.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa administered the oath to Zardari at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Islamabad today. He was also accompanied by newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing President Arif Alvi.
Army Chief General Asim Munir, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were also present.
Zardari is one of the four democratically elected presidents who have completed their five-year constitutional term, Dawn reported.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)