August 30, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 27, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s presidential candidate Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed asked PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday to withdraw from the contest in the best interest of the country.

Talking to reporters at the Parliament House, Senator Hussain referred to news reports about Mr Zardari relating to the unfreezing of his Swiss bank account of $60 million and his health which required psychiatric treatment in the United States.

The people of Pakistan, he said, would be justified to ask Mr Zardari about the source of this huge wealth since he had never declared it before.

He said the presidency was not an ordinary office and the president was also the supreme commander of the armed forces and chairman of the National Command and Control Authority.

In the West, he said, a man with controversial and divisive credentials would have been declared ineligible for a high office.

He said Mr Zardari should withdraw his candidature in the interest of democratic stability and for the sake of the future prospects of his own party.“Pakistan, at this critical juncture, cannot afford to have a person occupying the high office of the president whose name is mired in controversy,” he said.

He said the mainstream media and leading editors and columnists had already advised Mr Zardari not to seek the presidency since that would be perceived by the people as a quest for absolute power and control over all political and state institutions.

Mr Hussain again challenged Mr Zardari to a debate on TV and to answer questions regarding the $60 million largesse and state of his health.

Reuters adds: A PPP spokeswoman dismissed any suggestion Mr Zardari would withdraw and also rejected newspaper speculations that some members of his party were asking him to pull out and focus on running the party.

“Mr Zardari is the PPP’s unanimous choice and he accepted our request to take the nomination for the position of president,” said spokeswoman Farahnaz Ispahani.