Care for own country before helping others: Zardari

LARKANA: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that the PPP would stand by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif if any difficult situation arose and advised the government to take care of the country before going to help others.
“We are with you, Mian Sahib. Don’t make any decision without consulting us. You have sent me to jail but we will help you through thick and thin,” Asif Ali Zardari said while addressing a big public meeting here at the Naudero House on Saturday on the occasion of the 36th death anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Syed Mehdi Shah, Nisar Khuhro, Nazir Ahmed Bughio and other PPP leaders were present on the stage.
He asked Nawaz Sharif to go through the book written by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in which she presented the reconciliation policy. That policy was the requirement of the Muslim world in the present situation, he said, as the Muslim countries were facing internal and external threats.
He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had written in his book that the Himalayas would cry after his death.
The PPP co-chairman asked the government to take parliament into confidence before becoming part of Saudi-led coalition against the rebels of Yemen. He said that first of all the matter should be discussed in parliament so that in future no one could say that it was not the decision of 180 million Pakistanis but of just one person. History would stand witness that it was the decision of the nation.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the Judicial Commission. However, he congratulated Imran Khan on the accord to form a Judicial Commission to probe the alleged rigging in the elections of 2013 and advised him to rejoin parliament to make the opposition strong. He invited the PTI chief to join hands with the PPP to give financial autonomy to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and make it an autonomous institution in letter and spirit.
He said the Muslim Ummah was facing multiple crises and challenges and Muslim leaders should play their part to resolve these issues. He said that Pakistan should strive for a negotiated settlement of the Yemen imbroglio.
He maintained that Pakistan should play its role if the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia was at stake. “We need to play our role positively in the Islamic world and the nation should be taken into confidence in parliament on the issue. He said that the government should resolve issues through the collective wisdom of the people’s representatives.
Zardari admitted that the PPP government could not deliver the required results to the masses. He strictly directed PPP leaders to ensure their presence in party offices and address public issues.
He regretted that Sindh was being subjected to 18-hour power loadshedding as Sindh and Balochistan were not being facilitated according to their resources. He said that Sindh’s share in the royalty of gas and other resources was taken by the Centre but consultation on the issue was never carried out. The former president said, “We must sit on the table to resolve provincial matters.”
He said, “We fear a war that has erupted in another country might put our country on fire and a unilateral decision on the Yemen issue will harm Pakistan.”
He said governments were previously made only to serve self-interest but Z A Bhutto and the PPP leaders and workers proved that serving the masses and protecting democracy by giving sacrifices had been the hallmark of the party. Those who waged a war against tyranny and dictatorship were put behind bars but the PPP continued its struggle against all odds and opposed oppression.
Speaking on the occasion, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Asharaf said that the PPP endorsed the Nawaz Sahrif government and wanted it to complete its term even though the PML-N won the election with a low margin.
He advised Nawaz Sharif not to make decisions on global issues outside parliament as a unilateral decision on Yemen crisis might create a crisis-like situation for the nation.
He said that democracy empowers parliament and other institutions so Nawaz Sharif should respect democracy and parliament.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sherry Rehman and others also spoke on the occasion.