Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari flew to Dubai Thursday on a personal trip and will return the next day, the foreign ministry said, as tension between the civilian government and the powerful military plunged the country into another crisis. A meeting between the army chief and his top commanders Thursday is bound to fuel speculation that the generals, who set security and foreign policies, have lost patience with the unpopular Zardari. Senior officers discussed in detail “prevailing conditions,” a source told Reuters, highlighting fears for the economic and political stability of Pakistan, a vital but uneasy ally for the United States in its attempt to fight militancy and bring peace to neighbouring Afghanistan. Military sources say that while they would like Zardari to go, it should be through constitutional means, not another of the coups that have marked half of Pakistan's almost 65 years of independence. “There is no talk in the military of a takeover,” a mid-level army officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said. “I don't foresee a military coup.” The military on Wednesday warned of “grievous consequences” after Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani accused the army and spy chiefs of violating the constitution in what has become known as “memogate”. The remarks came after Gilani, citing “gross misconduct” sacked the defence secretary, a post seen usually as the military's main advocate in the civilian bureaucracy. The Supreme Court has also threatened the government with contempt proceedings that could lead to the fall of senior officials including the prime minister if it does not take action on long-standing corruption cases against Zardari. Gulf-based Pakistani sources said Zardari made the trip to Dubai, where he maintains a home, for a medical check-up. However, a senior member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said Zardari was in Dubai to attend a wedding. No official explanation was made available, fuelling already deep uncertainty about the president's fate. For many Pakistanis, the main issues are crippling power cuts, the fragile economy and poverty, not political intrigue, that have at times helped Pakistan earn the title of a failed state. “There is complete chaos. But our institutions are busy bringing each other down,” said Syed Ali, 23, an engineering student in the city of Lahore.
