Benazir Bhutto’s birthday: President hits out at Sharif

Zardari defends the military and his own government’s record, lambastes PML-N.


Express June 22, 2011

LARKANA:


In an impassioned speech delivered in Naudero on what would have been his slain wife’s 58th birthday, President Asif Ali Zardari responded to the many criticisms that his administration has come under over the last few weeks by opposition leader, calling on all parties to strengthen democracy and prevent a conflict of institutions.


“Institutions should not be made to fight individuals because this weakens democracy,” said the president in the address to workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party at the Naudero President’s House that began a little after midnight on Wednesday (today).

The president outlined what he felt were his government’s primary achievements and defended his party’s record in office.

President Zardari claimed that he had been offered several deals by his predecessor, former president Pervez Musharraf, but that his party had rejected those and had chosen to ally themselves with their erstwhile political rivals, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in order to strengthen democratic institutions.

“We handed over Punjab to the PML-N on a silver platter,” said the president, who has made visible moves in recent months to ensure that the Sharif brothers, who lead Punjab’s ruling party, do not feel threatened about their administration in the province.

Yet the president seemed to grow weary of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s accusations against his government and lashed out at his political rival in his first public response since the May 2 US raid on Abbottabad.

He accused the PML-N leader of being a product of former military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq’s rule, and lambasted the opposition for what he claimed was its soft stance on terrorism.

“If we have lost 35,000 of our own sons and daughters, how can you claim that this is America’s war?” said the president, in a rhetorical question addressed to Nawaz Sharif. “How is your thinking different from that of [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar?”

Even as he accused the opposition of being a product of a military dictator, however, the president defended the armed forces that have come under an unprecedented level of public criticism in Pakistan, a torrent of negative public opinion that has been led by fiery speeches by the PML-N’s Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the opposition leader in the National Assembly.

“Those who think they can divide Pakistan’s armed forces are naive politicians,” said the president. “Our military is a highly capable institution.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2011.

COMMENTS (28)

Abdul Quddus | 12 years ago | Reply @Imran: You can like him for the statement, shame on you for being such a naive and uninformed judge of just about everything. when you have nothing to eat at home and have kids to feed, when you have not been given the education to understand wrong from right, when you have lived in country where religion (manipulated and fabricated to one's need)is the basis of living, when you have been brain washed for the beautiful life after death, when you have been bribed about HOORS, when you incapable of seeing around you, it is very easy to be sold for any amount to be righteous and cause harm to those who are innocent. Look around whether it is Zardari or Nawaz or any Prick for that matter, what is left of Pakistan, really. No water to drink, No electricity to power anything, no air to breathe, no security come back home alive, no office or govt agency to follow laws, no place to be safe at, no values, no honor and no dignity.
Anwar Jamal | 12 years ago | Reply While living in a glass house, one should not pelt stones on others. The political bickering was kicked off by PML-N. In his tirade at AJK, Mian Sahib bad mouthed president by saying that “Mr Zardari was a man who did not learn from his past mistakes” President Zardari has run a highly corrupt government. He should quit the politics of banditry and stop damaging the country’s major institutions,” He also said” Pakistan belongs to the 180 million Pakistanis and millions of Kashmiris, not to Zardari or Gilani”. Mian Sahib is suffering from short term memory loss. Despite, brutal assault on Zardari and PPP leadership in 90s, PPP never reeled on personal vendetta and forgave all the high handedness of PML-N leadership. Mian Sahib nation is well aware who is damaging institutions? Who is maligning image of security forces? Mian Sahib trying to present him the savior of Pakistan, he should not forget, it was PPP who rendered sacrifices for Pakistan. Lost its leaders, faced tyrannies of dictators and put to dungeons for years. Mian Sahib should not forget, it was not PML-N who saved Pakistan. It was military, who is responsible for making Pakistan invincible. Nawaz Sharif-the once blue eyed boy of the military establishment is now trying to become a street-fighting champion of democracy and of civilian dominance over the military. Noon League is not a party, it is family business, run with British ICS efficiency in Mughal-esque grandeur. If Nawaz Sharif can fashion a real political party, out of the immensely powerful family fiefdom he currently runs, he may give starry-eyed Pakistani optimists the kind of hope that one can take to the bank, for a long-term deposit. This could be a true masterpiece in politics, Mere mudslinging and inclining in damaging the institutions would not work well.
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