Zardari accuses PTI of offering TLP an NRO

Says the government is being run by an 'under 14 team'

HYDERABAD/ LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) government for signing ‘an informal’ national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) like deal  with leaders of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The TLP led country-wide protests after the apex court on Oct 31 acquitted a blasphemy accused, Aasia Bibi. The protestors blockaded major cities to demand her immediate execution, in a three-day stand-off that ended when government agreed to allow a review of the ruling and put her name on the no-fly list.

"The government is leniently dealing with the people who spoke against the country and levelled serious accusations [against the judges and the army chief]. However, thousands of poor people are being arrested to ‘project the state's writ’ [for alleged vandalism during the protests]," he said.



Zardari, who was addressing a press conference in Khairpur district on Thursday, predicted that the PTI government would not complete its tenure.  “The government has not completed its first six months in office but it is already on the defensive,” he said.

He lambasted the PTI for ruling the country with a team of inexperienced people, whom Zardari likened with an under-14 sports team. "I told them [the PTI] in the National Assembly to stop playing part of the opposition and to act like the government. The U-turn’ government of the PTI has troubled people with its inflationary policies and by making the fuel and gas expensive."

Zardari also criticised the PTI government's efforts to secure bailout loans from the friendly countries and international financial institutions. He said the government should prefer strengthening the capital market instead of seeking the foreign loans.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had risen to power the same way as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif rose to power, ie, after striking a deal with the establishment.



“We have the same objections to Imran Khan that we had to Mian Sahib’s (PML-N) government. Both of them came to power through an agreement,” he said.

However, he said, this even happens in the most developed countries like America. “Despite of all this, the weakest of democracy is better than other mode of government,” he added.

Commenting on the Diamer-Bhasha dam, he said the PPP government approved feasibility of the project and initiated the land acquisition process. However, he added, the controversy is not over construction of the dam but protecting the water and ensuring its fair distribution.

Responding to a question, he said former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz seemed to be cooling down the political temperature. "In politics the situation is sometimes heated up and sometimes cooled down."

PML-N ignores Zardari’s allegations

When asked to comment on Zardari’s allegations, the PML-N spokesperson said Marriyum Aurangzeb said she had not heard his statement and could not comment on it.  Senior PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid also refused to comment on the issue.