Ties between establishment, parties improving: Zardari

PPP leader scoffs at Imran's 'newfound interest' in press freedom

KARACHI:

PPP leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said the relationship between political parties and the establishment has seen a great deal of ease with the passage of time.

The PPP leader was speaking at a party convention with provincial ministers held in Karachi.

Speaking to the party workers, Zardari noted that the progress to improve the relationship with the establishment will continue until the final goal was achieved. “The goal of all stakeholders was the development of the country and strengthening of democracy.”

“We have all learned a lot over time,” he said and stressed that all institutions, including the establishment and the judiciary, must abide by the constitution.

Taking a dig at PTI chief Imran Khan, the PPP leader said the former prime minister under whose government, he said, the country witnessed the “darkest days” of its history in terms of press freedom, was now expressing concerns about freedom of expression.

“I wish Imran Khan had bothered to concern himself with the rights of journalists during his own tenure,” he said while claiming that journalists have always been and will continue to be free during the PPP’s regime.

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“The era of Imran Khan has been a dark one in terms of press freedom.”

He asserted that the coalition government will pull the country out of the crisis it was entangled in thanks to the previous PTI-led government.

Zardari's remarks about Imran Khan's "newfound" interest in press freedom came after the latter addressed a seminar in Islamabad on the subject and expressed concerns about attacks on journalists.

Imran had pointed out that “constructive criticism” was necessary to improve the governance issues which will also benefit the establishment. “Journalists should be allowed for constructive criticism otherwise we would never be able to differentiate between right and wrong," the former prime minister said while speaking at the seminar.