Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Friday said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is trying to whip up 'rhetoric' against state institutions to weaken them. He expressed these views while addressing a press conference here. "The leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are trying to whip up 'rhetoric' against institutions and provoking the public. They are trying to weaken the state institutions," Zardari added.
Zardari also contradicted the PML-N's claim that it is being targeted by judiciary and other state intuitions and denounced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's constant tirades against judiciary and military. "It is only Nawaz who has a problem with the institutions. For the first time, perhaps, the institutions are completely neutral," he said.
He also dispelled the impression that the ruling party has been ousted from the Senate election race. "Nawaz Sharif is stating that his party has been barred from the Senate elections. Mian Sahib's party is very much present in the Senate election," he added. He said, "Rebellion is being created in the Punjab bureaucracy." He said the Sharif family is using the Punjab bureaucracy to bring about a revolt, which would be an uprising against the state itself. Nawaz Sharif's relatives and party leaders, who were appointed illegally, are being used for this purpose, he added.
Referring to ongoing accountability of Nawaz, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Safdar along with ex-finance minister Ishaq Dar, the PPP co-chairman said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also fears that he too will soon have to face the music. "He [Shahbaz] thinks he can save himself from being arrested through such tactics," he said.
Zardari claimed the government's incompetence over the four years has allowed India to take advantage. He said one of major reasons behind failure of foreign policy is non-appointment of a foreign minister for four years despite insistence and criticism of opposition in this regard. "Conspiracies are being hatched against Pakistan, while our neighbor is cunning and wants to destroy Pakistan," he said referring to escalating tension on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary. We are ready if India attempts any misadventure," he added.
He claimed that former premier Nawaz Sharif has not done anything other than business or for "commission". "He has never given any province its due share," the PPP co-chairman claimed. Zardari said Pervez Musharraf would face law and courts when he would return.
Referring to reports about Pakistan being placed on Financial Action Task Force's terror-financing watchlist, Zardari denounced Khawaja Asif as an unsuitable foreign minister. He said in the past, PPP government had also faced the issue of FATF but it resolved it amicably by negotiating with friendly countries.
He said the government spent billions of rupees in Lodhran to win the recently-held by-election. "They announced power and gas projects in Lodhran to win the election," he claimed. "Getting votes is easier if your party is in power," he said. "Furthermore, the administration [police] there is also their [PML-N's] own. Half of Punjab's politics is run by SHOs (station house officers)," he maintained.
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