ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that he was disappointed by recent statements by former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. On August 31, the former president criticised the PML-N government, warning Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he was repeating “the politics of 1990s”, and stating that the results would be disastrous. The statement by Asif Ali Zardari was made after the PPP ended its “policy of reconciliation” in the lead-up to the local government elections and the recent arrests of PPP leaders in Sindh. In response to Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz said he was baffled by such a statement. Chairing a meeting of the PML-N Sindh, the prime minister said he gave everyone respect and wanted to move forward with everyone. PM Nawaz added that his government, upon Zardari’s retirement as president, had given the PPP co-chairman a farewell ceremony. In the past Centre would interfere in the matters of provinces, but this had not taken place during the tenure of the present government, sources quoted the prime minister as saying. The prime minister reaffirmed that there would be no compromise on the Karachi operation, which was aimed at eliminating terrorists and criminals. The sources said the prime minister stressed that indiscriminate action would be taken against those looting national wealth. Nawaz Sharif called upon the leadership of PML-N Sindh to activate the party at provincial and district levels and revitalise its position in the province through intensified public contacts. The meeting discussed the party’s strategy for local bodies elections in the province. Addressing the meeting, Nawaz said Sindh was very important for the party and there was a need to strive to make it the political hub of PML-N. The prime minister said the PML-N respected the people’s mandate at federal and provincial levels, adding, now the PML-N would campaign for local bodies elections in the provinces and would try to win the confidence of masses on the basis of its performance. “While upholding the democratic norms, we will move forward in politics and will promote the positive political culture at national level,” he remarked. The prime minister said his government took all major decisions of national importance with consensus, the results of which were emerging in the form of improved law and order situation and significant successes in the fight against terrorism. He said the PML-N had always formulated its policies in national interest and believed in bringing change through elections, which always benefit the country and the nation. He said the policies of PML-N focus on promotion of party workers and mentioned that a PML-N’s party worker was now the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, from where the party had won the seats with more than simple majority. Nawaz directed the party leadership to highlight the two-and-a-half-year performance of PML-N government and also apprise the people of Sindh that the party wanted to serve the masses. He urged the party workers to increase contacts at public-level and focus on revitalizing the party’s position in Sindh before general election. He asked the PML-N’s office bearers to follow the party discipline and resolve their mutual differences through discussion.