KARACHI – Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has claimed that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would not come back to the country because he had taken political asylum in the British capital city.
In an interview to a private channel on Wednesday, the former president expressed that PPP had supported Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) last government during sit-in of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for the sake of democracy but hastened to add that the PML-N government had not given respect to the parliament during its last tenure.
‘State institutions were strengthened during PPP’s previous government and it had always worked for the betterment of the country,’ he claimed.
Regarding the next leader of embattled PML-N, Zardari said that Maryam Nawaz was energetic and young, who could become a leader, but there was no comparison between Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and her because the slain leader had rendered sacrifices for democracy and spent five years in jail against dictatorship.
‘It was a reality that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had vote bank that would shift to Maryam Nawaz, not to Shehbaz Sharif,’ shared the politician.
To a question, he said there was a rift in PML-N and Shehbaz Sharif was taking benefit of the situation.
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The 62-year-old politician expressed that South Punjab province was the long-lasting demand of the people of the area and it must be established.
Regarding the possible alliance with PTI after elections, Zardari opined that Imran Khan had already shut all the doors by announcing that he would not make a coalition with PPP to form the government.
‘The PPP candidate for prime minister was Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, however, he could also be the opposition leader if PPP could not manage to form the government,’ said the former lawmaker and added that he had no desire to become president of Pakistan again.
Zardari said there was no room in the Constitution to delay the general election and all political parties should take steps to strengthen Election Commission of Pakistan.
When asked whether he had any contacts with PML-N, he replied he did not meet Nawaz Sharif after the cancellation of a scheduled meeting with him in 2015.
“News regarding our contacts with PML-N are nothing but mere rumors,” he emphasized.
