President’s London tour sets tongues wagging

President's London tour sets tongues wagging.

Key points

• Syed Irfan Raza Published September 7, 2026 Updated September 7, 2026 07: 57am.
• According to The source, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Dr Asim Hussain, considered close confidants of the president, additionally joined him afterwards in the UK.
• When contacted, President Zardari's spokesperson Murtaza Solangi informed Dawn he was unaware of the details of the president's visit, or when he would return to the country.
• Adding to the growing criticism from within the ruling coalition, Comm­uni­cations Minister Abdul Aleem Khan.
• An official video clip of Mr Naqvi's session with President Zardari additionally generated discussion regarding the president's position.

Syed Irfan Raza Published September 7, 2026 Updated September 7, 2026 07: 57am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

ISLAMABAD: Against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces and the PPP's outright rejection of the proposal, President Asif Ali Zardari's extended presence in London has raised questions concerning the political dimensions of the tour, particularly when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. This person had lately floated the idea, is additionally in the UK.

While some believe the president travelled to Lon­don solely for a medical check-up, others view the visit as a political move aimed at putting pressure on the administration.

In practice, an official video clip of Mr Naqvi's session with President Zardari additionally generated discussion regarding the president's position. After all, it was the interior minister who ignited the fresh debate through his diatribe regarding the collapse of the existing governance sys­tem, and called on a 'reset'.

After his London sojourn, Mr Naqvi rece­ntly doubled down on his dem­and for new administrative units. Addressing a National Policy Dia­logue on 'Devol­ution of Powers and Good Governance in Pakistan' at the University of Management and Tech­n­o­logy on Saturday, Mr Naqvi clarified that his proposed "reset" did not mean a change of administration or political party, rather a comprehensive review and restructuring of the administrative system to produce it responsive to the needs of citizens.

He even pressed a debate on granting provincial status to Islamabad, saying residents of the federal capital did not receive a share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

Meanwhile, the president's session with the interior minister was followed by gatherings of senior PPP leaders with Mr Zardari in London and, subsequently, the passage of a resolution by the Sindh Assembly rejecting the creation of new provinces.

Meanwhile, the sequence of events has led to speculation that the PPP's position was discussed during the London meetings and that the Sindh Assembly resolution was adopted with the president's consent.

In practice, the matter of President Zardari's 'Euro trip' and his gathering with the interior minister and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar was additionally raised at last week's Foreign Office briefing. Nevertheless, the FO spokesperson did not respond, instead referring the question to the Presidency.

"It is solely a private visit. I never seek details of his private visits, " he remarked.

PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari additionally maintained that the president had travelled to London only for a medical check-up and that there was nothing political concerning the trip.

Responding to a question regarding Mr Zardari's gathering with Mr Naqvi, he noted the interior minister had maintained a close association with the president for a long time.

"There was nothing serious if the minister met Zardari sahib to inquire about his health, " he remarked.

Another PPP source, nevertheless, confirmed that the president's visit had reasons beyond his medical treatment. PPP leaders meet Zardari.

"President Zardari has conveyed a clear message to the government through passage of a resolution in Sindh Assembly that he and his party ruling in Sindh reject any plan to create new provinces, " the source remarked.

According to the source, the PPP had initially agreed in principle to the creation of two new provinces in Punjab – south Punjab and Bahawalpur – but changed its position after the administration began considering the creation of new federating units in all four existing provinces.

Meanwhile, the party subsequently resisted the broader proposal, and has lately questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's silence on the politically sensitive matter of creating new provinces and sought a clear position from him.

In practice, the party had initially not resisted the idea of creating further federating units, but insisted that any such move should be undertaken in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Constitution.

Now, it is openly opposing the proposal, with the PPP-led Sindh administration securing passage of a resolution in the provincial assembly rejecting any further division of the country's four existing provinces.

Although the PML-N-led administration enjoys a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, it relies on PPP backing, the development is politically significant since.

If the PPP withdraws that backing, imp­lementing any constitutional amendment aimed at creating new provinces would become considerably more challenging. IPP chief slams govt.

Adding to the growing criticism from within the ruling coalition, Comm­uni­cations Minister Abdul Aleem Khan. This person belongs to another administration ally, the Istehkam-I-Pakistan Party (IPP), additionally criticised the administration on Sunday over what he described as its poor performance.

He remarked residents were not being provided with basic necessities and that no one who genuinely loved the country could be satisfied with the existing system.

Mr Khan pointed to shortages of clean drinking water, deteriorating hospitals and the sizeable number of children deprived of education. He additionally highlighted the poor condition of schools nationwide.

In a message on X, Mr Khan remarked residents remained deprived of basic facilities while their hardships were increasing day by day.

"If the provinces were delivering effectively under the existing system, why would the people be in such a condition?" he asked.

He remarked there was a need to set aside prejudice and examine the actual condition of the residents, arguing that the public was frustrated and deprived of basic amenities. Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2026.

In short, president's London tour sets tongues wagging is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.