Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari Friday said that former premier Nawaz Sharif was trying to weaken the institutions, referring to his criticism on the judiciary.

Speaking to a press conference in the capital, he said, “Nawaz Sharif is trying to weaken institutions. Weak institutions make the country weak.”

He accused the disqualified party head of ruling PML-N of manipulating the bureaucracy to revolt against the state. “The downsizing of leaders has begun and they can do nothing about it,” he added.

On the Senate election scheduled for March 3, Zardari implied that the PML-N had not been ousted from the election run.

He said that he could anticipate the 2018 general elections occurring on time.

“It is easier to take votes if the party is in rule in federation and provinces,” he argued, alleging PML-N of pre-poll rigging in Lodhran by-election.

Referring to ongoing accountability of Nawaz, Maryam Captain (r) Safdar along with Ishaq Dar, the PPP co-chairman said Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also feared that he too would soon have to face the music.

“He [Shehbaz] thinks he can save himself from being arrested through such tactics,” he said.

“Conspiracies are being hatched against Pakistan, our neighbour is cunning and wants to destroy Pakistan,” he said in the wake of escalating tensions at the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.

The PPP co-chairman stressed that he would not allow Nawaz Sharif to succeed in his “partnership” with Indian PM Narendra Modi to make “greater Punjab”. On Pakistan’s inclusion in the FATF grey list, he said that the PPP government had avoided such measures in the past through diplomacy.

Published in Daily Times, February 24^th 2018.