ISLAMABAD: Ruling Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has embarked on a six-day foreign visit that will take him to Turkey, sparking speculation that he may discuss the possibility of President Pervez Musharraf going into exile with the Turkish leadership.
Zardari, who was in Dubai over the past few days to meet his family, yesterday flew to Turkey, where he will call on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul.
It has been widely speculated here that the beleaguered President might opt to go into exile in Turkey, though Musharraf recently dismissed such reports and said he had no plans to leave Pakistan.
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar too dismissed reports that Zardari's visit to Turkey was linked to this issue. However, The News daily quoted unspecified sources as saying that Musharraf's future could figure in Zardari's talks with the Turkish leadership.
Zardari will also attend a lunch hosted by Education Minister Huseyin Celik, who is co-chairman of the Pakistan-Turkey Joint Economic Commission, said a statement issued by the PPP.
Zardari will call on former Turkish premier Tansu Ciller and meet representatives of the Turkish business community during his visit.
From Turkey, Zardari will travel to Athens in Greece to deliver the keynote address at the Socialist International Congress on July 1. He will speak on the issue "Resolving Conflicts and Overcoming Instability".
Zardari will travel to Dubai on July 3 for a day before returning to Pakistan.
