Pakistan

Zardari’s Iqama image fake, fabricated: PPP

Spokesperson says vested interests want to bring entire political class into disrepute

Our Correspondent July 30, 2017

Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said that the photocopy of a residence permit, or Iqama, showing former president Asif Ali Zardari as partner or employee in a private UAE firm is fake, fabricated and photo-shopped to malign and discredit him and the party.

“It is the handiwork of those who wish to bring into disrepute the entire political class,” said PPP spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement on Saturday. "This is most reprehensible and is deeply deplored and condemned," he added.

Evidence that ‘alone can send PM packing’

He said that Zardari had been validly granted visa by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Abu Dhabi on the basis of which he stayed in the UAE.

The former president “does not hold any visa or residence permit as an employee or partner in some private firm as wrongly claimed in the fake Iqama doing the rounds on social media”, he said.

After Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification as prime minister by the Supreme Court, “a vicious and mysterious campaign seems to have been mounted by vested interests to malign and discredit elected representatives of the people and the political class as a whole”, he said.

Khawaja Asif had not just one but three Iqamas

Babar said that launching such a malicious campaign against the former president, the PPP and the political class as a whole would do no good either to those behind it or to the country.

Those wishing to paint black Zardari, the PPP and the elected representatives should pause, ponder and look inward as they also might have skeletons in their closet, he said, adding, “If they do that, they might realise that they too have many questions to answer, but have escaped accountability.”

COMMENTS (2)

Parvez Gondal MD | 7 years ago | Reply Look who is talking. He is very well known as mr. 10% but he actually is mr. 30%. He is one of the most crooked politicians in the country and I hope the Supreme Court will not stop at disqualifying Nawaz Sharif alone which is commendable but also keep on going after the other crooked politicians and thieves. Starting from the top is the best thing but it must continue to the other crooked people and clean up the whole society. The whole world is looking to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to do a good job cleaning up the corruption. I believe I'm forces Pakistan is behind it but they have cleaned up their own act before they started doing this. I remember raheel Sharif had started cleaning up his own backyard before he left. I hope people haven't forgotten about it. If this process stops here it'll be a travesty and tragedy because there's so many crooked people that have stolen money from poor people while poor people are dying without food and water.

Parvez | 7 years ago | Reply I absolutely believe the PPP ....... Zardari is way to craft to get caught by a simple akama.

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