Zardari says all allegations against him false, baseless

KARACHI: Former president Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that he didn’t consider his own present situation as a difficult time. He claimed that the difficult time had been the one faced by the martyred prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who had remained steadfast in her struggle against the worst dictatorship regime of General Ziaul Haq. Addressing a meeting of senior leaders of Pakistan People's Party here at the Bilawal House, the former president said that all the allegations levelled against him were false and baseless. The former president didn’t further elaborate on the issue of the allegations against him as he apparently referred to the case of mega money laundering currently being investigated against him

Zardari said on the occasion that difficult times had always enabled him to emerge stronger than ever before. “False documents could not be used to threaten and frighten us. We do possess the power to tolerate to whatever extent the oppression committed against us. We will tolerate to the extent that will make the oppressors become tired,” said Zardari, who is also the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians.

He said that the people of the country on the upcoming 11th martyrdom anniversary of Benazir Bhutto on 27th December, 2018 would prove the notion true that People's Party could never be eliminated. “God willing, the People's Party will win the (next) elections with the support of people and will make governments in the Federation, the four provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the People's Party would adopt its new strategy in the upcoming meeting of its central executive committee to be held on the occasion of death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto.

He said that the upcoming death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto would be observed with full zeal and fervour. He alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to push the country once again towards the state of One Unit. “On the one side, water and gas supply has been stopped (to Sindh) while on the other side, legitimate funds of the province are not being released,” said Bilawal.

He said that a campaign was also launched in favour of the controversial Kalabagh Dam project. He said that the founder of PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had given a consensus Constitution of the country in 1973 as the dictator who had succeeded him (Bhutto) had tarnished the very shape of the Constitution. “We through the 18th Amendment restored the Constitution to its original shape. We will not become expedient on the issue of 18th Amendment. We have always defeated the anti-democratic forces,” said Bilawal.

He said that people from different schools of thought would assemble at Garhi Khuda Bux on 27th December to vanquish the elements engaged in doing the conspiracy. Meanwhile, the meeting held at the Bilawal House took into consideration the preparations for the public meeting of People's Party at Garhi Khuda Bux on 27 December to commemorate the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto. The meeting among others was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, former Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sardar Lateef Khosa, Ali Madad Jattak and others.

Later, talking to newsmen after the meeting at the Bilawal House, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that decisions taken by the National Accountability Bureau were dubious in nature as “the prime minister was in the habit of even not taking his meal without the presence of NAB chairman”.

Nisar Khuhro said that accountability and investigative agencies of the country had been colluding with the present government. He raised the question as to how it was possible for the federal ministers to know beforehand about the contents of the report of the Joint Investigation Team. “The accused is being turned into a criminal without the proof against him of committing the crime,” he said.

He said that there was a possibility of cooperation between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as both were the opposition political parties. The PPP leader said that political parties in the country, which had come into existence under the patronage of dictators, had to face destruction as in contrast the integrity of People's Party was like a solid rock, so no one could ever weaken it.

He said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had levelled a false allegation against former president Ali Zardari as an accountability reference should have been filed if in case he actually owned the property in the United States. He said that the former president during his term in the presidency had strengthened the parliament.