Pakistan's president said he has no intention of stepping down in the face of allegations his government sought US help in reining in Pakistan's powerful military. Asif Ali Zardari, speaking in an interview aired Saturday night on Pakistan's Geo News TV, was responding to a question about whether army leaders might seek his resignation. “No one has asked me yet,” Zardari said. “I don't think there is such an innocent in Pakistan who will demand my resignation.” The scandal centers on a memo sent in May to US Adm. Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. It asked for his help in stopping a supposed army coup after the American raid that killed Bin Laden. The unilateral US raid angered and embarrassed Pakistan. Pakistan's supreme court has ordered a judicial investigation into the scandal. The government says that probe is unnecessary because a parliamentary board is already investigating. The Pakistani army was outraged by the memo and supports the Supreme Court investigation. Talk of Zardari's possible resignation took on momentum when he suddenly left Pakistan for a Dubai hospital in early December where he was treated for as yet unspecified reasons. One of his close associates has said he had suffered a “mini-stroke.” He returned to Pakistan on Dec. 19. In Saturday's interview, Zardari was asked if leaving again was an option for him, to avoid humiliation or even an arrest by the army. “Why should it be?” he responded.
