A diplomatic cable on WikiLeaks says Pakistan’s president had sought a pledge that the United Arab Emirates would allow his family long-term refuge if he died or was killed.
The memo says the UAE’s Foreign Minister, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, told U.S. officials about Asif Ali Zardari’s request during a meeting in January.
The request was noted in a secret U.S. diplomatic cable posted by WikiLeaks.
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It’s not known whether the appeal was granted. Emirates officials were not available on Thursday to comment on the report because of a national holiday.
Mr. Zardari’s late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, spent part of her eight-year self-exile in Dubai before being killed in a suicide blast in 2007 after returning to Pakistan.