Islamabad: The barely minute long phone conversation on Dec 16 between Pakistan's powerful army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and President Asif Ali Zardari, who was then in Dubai, triggered massive speculation here, forcing authorities to clarify that there was nothing to it.
Kayani, spoke "by chance" with Zardari Dec 16. It was their first conversation since the president abruptly flew out of the country to Dubai Dec 6. Zardari returned back to the country late Sunday night.
The conversation took place a day after Kayani told the Supreme Court that a secret memo, which said Zardari feared a military coup, had indeed been sent to Washington.
Inter Services Public Relations Monday issued a statement, saying that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had a meeting with Kayani during which he "received a telephonic call from the president by chance".
"When I informed the president that I was having a meeting with the army chief, the president asked me to convey his regards to General Kayani. On this, the (army chief) showed his desire to speak to the president," the statement quoted Gilani as saying.
The telephonic conversation between Zardari and Kayani lasted approximately one minute in which he enquired about the health of the president. "Hence, attributing anything more to this telephonic conversation is unfounded and unnecessary."
IANS
First Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 11:28