Sharif should be tried for murder: Zardari

Zardari meets Qadri again, announces to attend Saturday’s APC

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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has formally announced that he will participate in the All Parties Conference (APC) in Lahore today [Saturday] called by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

Ahead of the APC on Friday, the PPP co-chairman and other senior leaders, including Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Manzoor Wattoo, Rehman Malik and Sardar Latif Khosa, visited Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore’s Model Town to meet Dr Tahirul Qadri, the PAT supremo.

This was Zardari’s second visit to the PAT Secretariat within a month since the release of the Justice Baqar Najafi report on Model Town incident in which 14 PAT workers were killed during a police crackdown.



According to sources, the PPP and PAT leaders discussed the Model Town inquiry report, the APC agenda and their future course of action regarding a possible movement against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting, Zardari said his party would not only participate in the meeting but also support the APC decisions. “The PPP has always raised voice for the common man and the weak and will stand by the families of the Model Town massacre victims,” he said.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah would have to step down and surrender before the law. “A murder case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) should also be registered against deposed premier Nawaz Sharif,” he demanded.



Zardari said the entire nation was witness to the government ‘brutality’ in Model Town on June 17, 2014. “Apparently 14 innocent people, including women and elder, lost their lives in the carnage, but in reality around 100 were martyred in the crackdown as people who got injured or lost their loved-ones will have to face this trauma for their entire life,” he said.

He said the incident took place in the provincial capital and the police kept on firing in broad daylight but nobody came to rescue the innocent citizens. “Being a law minister, Sanaullah is trying to influence the legal system but he cannot find escape,” he stressed.

Criticising the ruling family, the PPP co-chairman said the Sharifs were running from pillar to post to secure their assets but cannot get another National Reconciliation Order (NRO). “I don’t believe that the people of Pakistan will let this happen again in the country,” he added.



Responding to a question, Zardari said Gen Pervez Musharaf was a dictator who got benefit of the circumstances and kept the powers of parliament in his hand.

“It is a common in Pakistan to keep hold of powers, but I transferred all my powers to parliament during my term as the president,” he said, adding that Sharif was still trying to keep his hold on the party just to keep powers with him.

Answering another question, Zardari clarified that the PPP was not entering into any alliance with the PAT in the upcoming general elections. “We are supporting the PAT and Qadri Sahib for their struggle for justice otherwise all political parties have their own manifestos.”



Addressing the media, the PAT chief said agenda for the APC had been finalised. “The conference will start at 12:45am on Saturday [today] after which its decisions will be announced before the media,” Qadri added.

Apart from the PPP, heads of key political parties – including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal – have thrown their weight behind Qadri’s demand for resignation of the Punjab CM and the law minister.