PML-N, PPP ministers engage in war of words

Abid Sher Ali says Zardari has no moral standing to teach PML-N ethics

KARACHI: The ministers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N] and Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] engaged in, what appears to be, a war of words on Saturday.

It started with State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali’s visit to the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, where he criticised Pakistan Peoples Party’s [PPP] Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and other figures from the opposition party.

“There have been many corruption charges against Asif Ali Zardari for years. He has gathered assets worth  billions of rupees,” Abid said. “The cases of Dr Asim, Sharjeel Memon, Ayyan Ali, Muzaffar Tappi, and others are all about Zardari. Similarly, statements by Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Uzair Baloch also made Zardari's corruption clear. How can they [PPP] teach ethics to PML-N?” he asked.



In response, PPP leaders Nabil Gabol and Maula Bakhsh Chandio, while accusing Abid of calling Zardari a ‘dacoit’, called him ‘Saulat Mirza’ – a seasoned target killer who was executed by hanging. They also threatened to constitute a joint investigation team ]JIT[ against Abid and his father Chaudhry Sher Ali.

Gabol called the minister and his father commanders of militant wing of PML-N. Chandio said he could not use the language used by the state minister. “Political workers do not use such language,” he added.

Chandio maintained that PML-N distributed sweets before reading the Panama judgment on Thursday even though it proved to be against the prime minister. “It looks like the prime minister has directed his ministers to speak against the leadership of political parties if they want to remain ministers,” he said.

Pointing at Nawaz Sharif, he said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has made Lyari kingpin Uzair Baloch in his own camp. Chandio, referring to the PM, said, “What would the world say? A JIT has been formed to investigate the prime minister.” He claimed the PPP has never made deals with anyone behind closed doors.



Sindh Minister for Agriculture and Mines and Minerals Sohail Anwar Siyal said “people like the interior minister and Abid are anti-democratic.” He reminded the PML-N leadership of “days when the current premier was behind bars and trying to negotiate a deal with the military dictator for a safe passage.”

“Where were both these PML-N leaders when Nawaz Sharif was being sent into exile?” Siyal asked while claiming that it was the PPP who ended the exile of Nawaz Sharif.

(Additional reporting by our correspondent)