Former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Monday lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan for “attacking the state institutions” after being ousted from the government through a no-confidence vote. In a statement, Zardari condemned the speeches made by Imran and termed them a “vicious attempt” to avoid accountability. The PPP co-chair said Imran was afraid of the “corruption cases and foreign funding cases” against him, hence he had resorted to making the institutions “controversial to avoid punishment”. The former president also alleged that the ousted premier along with inciting hatred against the institutions on social media was trying to provoke people’s feelings through “fake conspiracy statements” in his rallies. Zardari said Pakistan regressed during the four-year rule of PTI, adding that the rhetoric being used by Imran “threatened” national security. “The Pakistan Army is not only the protector of Pakistan’s borders but the protection of the Constitution and democracy is also its responsibility,” the former president claimed. He added Imran was conspiring to divide the military, adding that the former premier also wanted to trample the Constitution through his actions. “Imran Khan calls others traitors yet he himself is playing the role of Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq by indulging in actions that would put the security of the country at stake,” he said, adding that Imran will pay for his actions.