Zardari gives cold shoulder to Nawaz’s 'grand national dialogue' offer

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples' Party supremo Asif Zardari on Wednesday said the PPP will not participate in any ‘grand national dialogue’, idea of which was floated by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif earlier this month.

While talking to reporters before his GT Road Rally, Nawaz had suggested that 'before the next general elections, grand dialogue/new social contract needed to be worked out and the forthcoming polls could serve as a referendum on it'.

Rejecting the proposal strongly, Zardari said 'I don't want to keep contact with Nawaz Sharif, so no question of dialogue arises' adding that Nawaz's priorities keep changing with respect of time.

'Neither I am in contact with him nor I would like to stay in touch him,' Zardari said while talking to his party leaders at a consultative meeting here at the Bilawal House.

Couple of days ago, Bialwal Bhutto too had hinted that this time PPP is not going to bail out PML-N.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is only trying to save himself and making contempt of court in his speeches but it appears that contempt of court applies only to the PPP," Bilawal said while addressing a press conference at the Parliament House on Friday.

Bilawal Zardari said that Nawaz Sharif did not have any ideology and he only wanted to save himself. When he was removed, he began talking about the Charter of Democracy and social contract. “The PPP has never supported the PML-N but we always come forward for democracy and if there is any threat to democracy, the PPP will gain on the forefront to defend it,” he said.