Army ‘fed up' with Zardari ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday said conspirators were plotting to bring down his government, giving his most public indication yet that he fears being ousted from power. He spoke as the Supreme Court met again to decide whether to order a formal inquiry into a secret memo, allegedly written with approval from the president, on seeking American help in curbing the powerful military. Rampant speculation that President Asif Ali Zardari could be forced to step down over illness and the scandal has refused to die, despite his return this week from treatment in a Dubai hospital. “I want to make it clear today that conspiracies are being hatched here to pack up the elected government,” Gilani told a gathering at the National Arts Gallery, without naming any names. “But we will continue to fight for the rights of people of Pakistan whether or not we remain in the government,” Gilani said. Pakistan's powerful army is fed up with Zardari and wants him out of office, but through legal means and without a repeat of the coups that are a hallmark of the country's 64 years of independence, military sources said. “Who isn't fed up with Zardari? It's not just the opposition and the man on the street but people within the government too,” said one military source who wished not to be named. General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has pledged to keep the military out of Pakistani politics since taking over as army chief in 2007. Gilani and Zardari have fended off a series of scandals and calls for the government to resign since they took office after the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) won elections in Feb. 2008. Although elections are not due before Feb. 2013, many observers expect polls some time in 2012. No civilian leader in Pakistan has ever completed a full term in office. The military is considered the chief arbitor of power and has ruled the country for more than half its existence, seizing power in four coups although analysts rule out any prospect of another imminent takeover. Pakistan's former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, this week compounded the pressure on the government by demanding elections within 90 days.
