Zardari returns to Pak ahead of Parliament session

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari returned home from Dubai early today, hours before a crucial special Parliament session to discuss Supreme Court's warning that it could act against the President and Prime Minister for failing to reopen high-profile graft cases.

Officials said Zardari had gone to Dubai to attend the wedding of the son of a friend and had returned as scheduled.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told the media that Zardari had reached Islamabad at 5 am.

"President Zardari, who had gone to Dubai Thursday afternoon on a private visit to attend a wedding, returned to Islamabad in the wee hours of Friday morning," Babar said.

The President travelled to Dubai for "a few hours on a private visit", he said in a brief statement.

Zardari had triggered widespread speculation about his future when he abruptly travelled to Dubai last month and spent nearly a fortnight there to be treated for a heart condition.

He made the one-day trip to Dubai after matters reached a head in the confrontation between the civilian government and the military over an alleged memo that had sought US help in reining in the army following the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May last year.

The government is also facing the heat from the Supreme Court, which recently warned that action could be taken against the President and Prime Minister if authorities did not write a letter to the Swiss government to revive cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on Monday of a case relating to alleged corruption at high places in which Zardari figures. It has come down heavily on Gilani for not not taking action in such cases and threatened to take action against him.

Matters came to a head on Wednesday after the military warned that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's criticism of the army and intelligence chiefs could have "grievous consequences" and the premier sacked the Defence Secretary, considered close to the Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Kayani yesterday held a meeting with his top commanders at the General Headquarters in the Garrison city of Rawalpindi. The meeting was attended by both the Principal Staff Officers, or senior generals serving at the General Headquarters, and the Corps Commanders, who head formations across the country.