JIT has scared PM: Zardari

Says JIT members are being targeted out of fear

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was preoccupied with the Panama Papers leaks probe and had failed to respond to the “threats from the US and India”.

President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi “are hurling threats at Pakistan”, but Nawaz Sharif “is busy trying to save his daughter” in the Panama Papers leaks case, said Zardari while addressing an event in Naushero Feroze.



“The Modi-Trump alliance is trying to isolate Pakistan globally, but Sharif is pursuing his friendship with Modi," he said, adding that Sharif had brought Pakistan to the crossroads.

The US and Indian leaders had, after a meeting in Washington, asked Pakistan to ensure that its land is not used for attacks on other countries. Washington also declared Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin a “specially-designated global terrorist (SDGT)”.

"I want to tell him that the PPP saved Pakistan in the past and will do so again today," Zardari said, addressing PM Sharif.

He denouncing the PM's reaction to the ongoing probe into the Panama leaks case, and said the joint investigation team (JIT) had troubled Nawaz and dashed his courage.

"This is the reason why he is attacking the JIT members. But this time we will not let Mian Sahib escape," said the former president.

He told the PM that his actions could no longer be kept a secret from the people and no one could save him. "The nation needs too many answers,” he said, adding that even children using social media had access to all the information about politics and society.

Claiming that the country's exports were higher when the PPP was in power, Zardari accused the PML-N government for the ‘downturn’.



Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah also criticised the PM and said that he was completely trapped in the Panama Papers leaks case. "This is why they are threatening everyone," he said of the PML-N.

Shah reiterated Zardari's concern that Trump and Modi were referring to Pakistan as a terrorist state, but Sharif was yet to break his silence and give a rejoinder.

Former chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other PPP leaders were also present.