Not interested in becoming Pakistan PM: Zardari

Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan's Peoples Party (PPP), vacated the presidency on Sunday and will be replaced the following day by Mamnoon Hussain, a businessman and close ally of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Goodbye, Mr president: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari inspects the guard of honour during his farewell ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad. Zardari became the first elected president of the country completing his full term. Pic/AFP

The centre-left PPP ran a rudderless general election campaign earlier this year and was defeated by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N.

"I will not try to become the prime minister of Pakistan," said Zardari, who defied expectations by holding onto power for a record five years.

"In my view running the party is more important than becoming prime minister," he added.

Zardari, a controversial figure who was once sentenced to 11 years in prison for alleged corruption, said that as the presidency was the highest office in Pakistan it would not be appropriate for him to become prime minister.

He is expected to split his time between Pakistan and Dubai as he bids to revive the PPP's fortunes, along with his son Bilawal, who turns 25 this month, meaning he can run for parliament.

Zardari's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said the president will relocate to Lahore ‘to start yet another chapter in political struggle' with analysts suggesting he will try to revive the party dominated by the Bhutto-Zardari family.