President Zardari's ex spox unveils explosive memoirs
Former senator and spokesperson to President Asif Ali Zardari Farhatullah Babar launched his memoir "Zardari presidency - now it must be told" at the Karachi Press Club on Monday. The 500-page book chronicles key moments from Zardari's 2008-13 presidency, offering a rare insider's account of a tumultuous period in Pakistan's history.
"This is not a biography of President Zardari," Babar clarified, "but a first-hand account of bizarre and dramatic events that impacted both the presidency and the nation."
The memoir recounts more than 80 episodes, including the discovery of Osama Bin Laden, civil-military tensions, the Memogate scandal, and the fallout over Raymond Davis. It also sheds light on Zardari's strained ties with the judiciary and military, including a moment when troops surrounded the Presidency to pressure a defiant president.
The book discloses for the first time the draft charge sheet for General Musharraf's impeachment and reveals backchannel diplomatic efforts such as a failed nuclear no-first-use proposal to India and secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Babar describes Zardari as a resilient but deeply political figure - misjudged, underestimated, and often vilified. "Zardari has been sinned against far more than he has sinned," he said, likening his endurance to that of Sonya in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.
Babar maintained he did not seek permission from Zardari or the PPP to write the book, which he called a duty to history. "This is the account of a president walking a tightrope between allies, judges, and generals," he said, "written by someone who witnessed it all - pen in hand."
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