Nawaz Sharif repeating 90s politics of victimisation: Zardari

Former president warns that politics of revenge could produce disastrous consequences

KARACHI: As law enforcement agencies up the ante against Pakistan Peoples Party, former president Asif Ali Zardari alleged on Monday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is repeating  politics of victimisation, which was prevalent in the 1990s.

"Steps being taken by the government clearly indicate they are trying to divide the nation in an attempt to save their natural allies, Taliban and the terrorists, and weaken the war on terror," Zardari said.

In a statement issued from London, the former president said at a time when the country’s innocent citizens are being killed by indiscriminate shelling in border villages by the enemy and Pakistan Army was fighting a decisive war against terrorists, PM Nawaz instead of challenging the real enemy was targeting the PPP and other political opponents.

#PPP Co Chairman @AAliZardari warns Nawaz Sharif against reverting to the politics of 90's https://t.co/5pf1rbJ2KJ

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) August 31, 2015

The former president warned that politics of revenge should immediately be stopped otherwise it will produce disastrous consequences.

Zardari claimed PPP accepted the 2013 general election results despite them being rigged by the ROs. “The decisions recently announced by election tribunals prove the PML-N received outside help and was made to win the elections.”

Read: Authorities arrest Zardari's close confidante Dr Asim Hussain

Expressing discontent over the arrest of PPP leaders such as Dr Asim Hussain, Qasim Zia and inquiries against former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, he said, “The pattern indicates political revenge following orders from the PM House.”

“PPP is a party of fearless followers who cannot be defeated by the threats of executions, lashing or imprisonment.”

Zardari added, “If they want to conduct fair accountability, they should first take action against a federal minister who confessed of money-laundering for the Sharif brothers. Only then we will know how clean the followers of N-league are.”

“It seems that Nawaz Sharif has not learnt any lessons from the past. We are not the ones who fled to Jeddah after seeking pardon,” the statement added.

Zardari claimed the Sharif brothers were in power because of the PPP. “It was the PPP which removed a ban on being elected as prime minister or chief minister for the third time; although it was evident it will only serve the interests of Mian brothers.”

The former president also said the PPP fully stood behind Pakistan Army in the continuing war against terrorism.

“We salute our soldiers who gave ultimate sacrifices in this war.”

Politics of victimization has been buried

Meanwhile, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid denied Zardari's allegations of retaliatory politics saying, "“Both Nawaz Sharif and late Benazir Bhutto buried the politics of the 1990s.”

He claimed that his political party showed complete conformity to the Charter of Democracy signed between the PML-N and PPP.

Talking to media, he said the word `victimization' no longer exists in the political dictionary of prime minister Nawaz Sharif, adding that the politics of ‘90s has been buried forever.

Responding to Zardari’s statement, Rashid said that the PPP co-chairman enjoyed the respect a former President was due.

However, he was willing to consider the statement as the result of misunderstanding between the two parties.

Regarding the arrest of former Minister Dr Asim Hussain, he said Nawaz had already sought a report on the matter even before Zardari’s statement.

He added that with an independent judiciary, no one could even think of the minister said no body can think of doing politics of victimization as judiciary was independent.