Terrorism destroying social structure: Zardari

Also condemns PTI; promises better future for K-P

PESHAWAR: Pakistan people Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Zardari has said that not only are Sufis being targeted in the country, but the very image of Muslims is being distorted.

He was addressing a party convention at Manki Sharif in Noshera on the occasion of former provincial minister Pirzada Nabi Amin formally joining the PPP.

“They [terrorists] want to keep our people away from Sufism and religion,” said Zardari. “They have created their own beliefs while making lives miserable for the country through terrorism,” he lamented.



He said Peshawar was once a vibrant economy, but terrorism and violence had destroyed everything, including the basic social fibre of society.

“Sufis gain followers from every religion and if it was not for them, Islam would have not reached India,” he remarked.

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Zardari said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) had all the resources, but it was being looted and contracts were being given to favourites. He added that all these contracts would be cancelled once the PPP took charge of the province.



“The benefits of these resources will only be for the people of the country,” he said.

The PPP leader spoke about India, criticising the violence against Muslims in both India and Kashmir. “I can’t even explain, what they are doing to Kashmiri Muslims,” he said.

Manki Sharif village is home to K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. It is famous for Pir Syed Muhammad Roohul Amin and the support he extended to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the freedom movement in 1945.



Zardari went on to accuse Khattak for not even starting development work in his own village, adding that the “PTI politically victimises people and has put senior leaders like Liaquat Shabab behind bars on charges of corruption”.

He alleged that the PTI had not even spared the only financial institution in the province, the Bank of Khyber, while the province continued to suffer from loadshedding, dengue and lack of effective governance.