Political impasse: Negotiations are the only way out, says Zardari

Says PPP took two days to accept the election results

SHANGHAI: Former president Asif Ali Zardari said that PPP had serious reservations on the outcome of the 2013 general elections and PPP did not accept the results for two days. However, those who are staging a sit-in on the streets of Islamabad had accepted the poll outcome on the very same day.

“We could have also staged sit-ins but we accepted the results in the better interest of people and the country, as it was more important than the struggle for gaining power,” said Zardari while speaking at Shanghai Institute for International Studies on Thursday. “We wish that all the issues are solved through negotiations.”



He said that China has got access to warm waters through Gwadar Port — which is not welcomed by the rest of the world.

Zardari said that, “We have always wanted to have better ties with India but that’s a complicated matter as they are still practising Nehru’s nationalism policy. Both sides need to show flexibility for this.”

The former president said that Pakistan has no reservations over India-China ties. On a question regarding the withdrawal of Nato forces from Afghanistan, Zardari said that Pakistan will work to strengthen its neighbour and hopes that China will play its due role for bringing stability in Afghanistan.

Zardari answered questions about Pak-China friendship, bilateral ties with India, internal issues of Pakistani politics and other policy matters.

PPP Co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also addressed the gathering, saying that the friendly ties between China and Pakistan are six decades old. “Our policy is pro-China which has caused a positive impact on our economy.”

Both the PPP leaders also attended an investors’ conference in Shanghai and asked the Chinese investors to invest in the development projects in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2014.