Powers that installed PTI govt fed up of its naivety: Zardari

Former president says he is receiving signals for early elections

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has vowed to get rid of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government a day after assailing the ‘powers’ that allegedly brought PTI government in power.

Speaking to the media in Hyderabad and addressing a reception in Tando Allahyar district on Sunday, he reiterated that early elections would be held.  "God willing, we will soon get rid of them with the people's support [and] we will send them home. Then we will hold early elections."

The former president predicted that PPP would emerge victorious across the country in the next general elections and would also form the government.

Responding to a question whether his successive public meetings in different parts of Sindh were an indication for early elections, he riposted in the affirmative. "Yes I got the signal for [the] early elections."

The PPP co-chairman also believed that the powers that brought Prime Minister Imran Khan to Islamabad have arguably grown fed up with him because of alleged poor delivery of his government. But, he said, the PTI was making an excuse that the time they have so far spent in the power was insufficient for assessing their performance.

"Friends form the puppet governments" and install 'artificial' leaders, he said. “You made Altaf Hussain but he has become someone else's today. You made Nawaz Sharif and then your war began with him. Whenever you bring someone after artificially creating them, they don't comprehend the things when they suddenly get the power. Their mind goes out of control."

He lamented that the political education of the workers was not allowed to take place. "After a sapling is planted, when it grows it is cut and replaced with an artificial plant." He said such substitution of genuine public representatives with the handpicked ones entail adverse consequences for the country but the powerful quarters act out of their like and dislike.



“Strange stories are created but the people of our age are aware of these stories." He reiterated that the fair elections would never have paved way for the PTI's government rather a government of national consensus would have emerged. Such a government, he contended, would have acted more wisely.

"PTI hasn't got the genuine vote, which is the reason it is not concerned with the depreciating rupee and inflation,” Zardari said.  “He [prime minister Imran Khan] says he didn't know about the dollar [exchange rate]. You were supposed to have knowledge of the issue and should have planned first-hand of how to maintain and bring the rate down.”

The PPP co-chairman claimed that he was being pressurised to deal on amending the 18th Constitutional Amendment so that the authority can be seized from the provinces. He informed that he had been constantly maintaining his stance that even if he agreed, his party and the people of Sindh and even other provinces would not agree. "But let’s see how this match develops and who plays by which side."

He argued that Islamabad was a small city whose population had recently grown to a size but in comparison Pakistan's provinces are far larger. He demanded that the power and the funds should be devolved to the provinces which are better suited to take decisions about the development. "Why is concentration of the power necessary in Islamabad?" he queried.



He linked the Federal Investigation Agency's on-going investigation against the fake bank accounts deposited with billions of rupees with the alleged pressures over the 18th Amendment. "What harm have I done and whom have I harmed [with 18th amendment]?" he questioned. He reiterated that Sindh contributed 63 per cent in the national revenue and provided gas and port to the country.

Zardari said the country's the economic growth is connected with the growth of the agriculture sector, adding that around 90 per cent of Pakistan's industry is agro based. Underscoring the sector's export potential, he said China imported food and agricultural products of around $4 trillion every year and Pakistan is the nearest agricultural country to China.

The PPP leader emphasised on developing a relation of interdependence between the two countries, describing China as a friend, brother and neighbour. "We want to see interdependence between Pakistan and China to augment and today it’s the time to bolster this relation but this government doesn't even understand this," he added.