Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said Saturday "a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) drama is being enacted against him to get rid of 18th Amendment of Constitution." "TV channels are playing the drama of FIA against me because they (government) want to remove 18th Amendment," he said. He urged TV channels to stop his character assassination through 'fake news'. He further added that the social media has become a new tool and people keep on posting fake news while sitting in their homes. "But we would counter all these tactics," he said.
He was addressing a gathering of All Pakistan People's Lawyers Forum, second one during a week, at a hotel here. "I had worked for this amendment for Punjab, Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and not for myself," he said. "You (government) have neither the mandate nor the political acumen to come up with any political vision for the country."
Zardari said when he was extending rights under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, some forces had pointed out that had he held dialogue with the disgruntled Baloch they would have been agreed to less than what he had offered to them under this package. "I was striving for extending to them their rights, instead of appeasing them."
He said he had also committed the "sin" of approving the change in the name of NWFP which could not be withdrawn in any case. Similarly, he added, "Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan was also my "sin" and I would continue committing such sins because it is the sole purpose of my politics. No one should expect that I would stop committing such sins as and when I will be in power," he said.
He said there was not a single case of National Accountability Bureau but enquiries against him started soon after the elections.
He said that Pakistan's integrity was being threatened by 'irresponsible people' therefore he has decided to get lawyers' support. He also told the audience that polling staff had no courage to change results where lawyers were deputed as polling agents by a candidate of his party.
He said the judiciary is required to maintain 'majesty of justice', saying he had not increased salaries of judges for his own benefit as "I was not a lawyer bound to appear before them." He added: "PPP never launched movement against judiciary because it believes in majesty of law. Now, they should also take steps to let the people feel them majestic instead of holding inquiries into trivial issues.
Referring to the Kashmir black day, he said the PPP was fully supportive of freedom struggle of Kashmiris.
On the financial assistance to present government by Saudi Arabia, he said he had no objection if any such assistance can help resolve economic woes of Pakistan "but as the proverb goes devil is in the details therefore I ask the government to bring forward details of the assistance." He said he wants to tell Saudi Arabia that had there not been leadership like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, India would have turned Pakistan into another Yemen.
He said he put the Constitution in order soon after assuming power, followed by Gwadar Port and finally revitalized relations with China. He termed China as future of Pakistan and suggested that Pakistan should become its force multiplier as the future generations of Pakistan would need a strong neighbour like her. "I am 64 and nearly over, and all my efforts are for the future generations of the country," he asserted. Eminent lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa, former chairman Senate Nayyar Bukhari and political figures were also present on the occasion.