Zardari becomes first elected president to address Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly

The Express Tribune

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, an elected president – Asif Ali Zardari – addressed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly on Monday. Zardari became the first ever elected president to have addressed a provincial assembly session on the invitation of the provincial chief minister and speaker of the assembly. The speaker had invited the president to address the assembly during the SAARC conference in Islamabad. Upon arrival, the president was received by K-P Governor Barrister Masood Kausar and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti. Addressing the session, the president said that it was a huge example of maturity and patience of parliamentarians and politicians that the assembly had completed its five years. Zardari emphasised on the need of defeating the extremist mindset in order to save Pakistan, while condemning the attack on former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad which took place earlier during the day in Mohmand. He expressed happiness over visiting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and thanked the provincial chief minister for inviting him.