Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday said that neither has been in contact with deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif nor he wanted to be. “His priorities change as soon as he (Nawaz) comes into power,” the PPP supremo told a consultation meeting of the party’s provincial and local leaders, including PPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Shaukat Basra, Begum Samina Khalid Ghurki, Azizur Rehman Chann, Faisal Mir and Chaudhry Aslam Gill here at the Bilawal House. In the party meeting, Zardari, while clarifying the party policy regarding reconciliation with the old ally (PML-N), categorically rejected any soft corner for the disposed premier in the current scenario when “he had not given any space to PPP during its last stint in power”. The PPP leader said he had no contact with Nawaz Sharif and that he would not like to shake hands with him anymore.

Zardari also clarified that his party would not be part of any ‘grand national dialogue’ suggested by the ousted prime minister. Zardari questioned why amendment to Article 62 and 63 of the constitution was not made when Nawaz Sharif was in power? He maintained that democracy was not in danger but politics of Nawaz Sharif. “The only threat is to Nawaz Sharif’s own political career,” he added. Zardari maintained that the PPP’s recent successful rally in Chiniot was evidence of the party’s growing popularity in Punjab and an eye-opener for its political opponents. “Bilawal [PPP chairman] is now in the political field and he is making the PPP stronger in Punjab.” PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar in a press statement after the party meeting also clarified that Asif Zardari was not in the city to hold a meeting with Nawaz Sharif.

Published in Daily Times, August 17^th 2017.