Zardari says he called Bajwa’s takeover bluff

ISLAMABAD: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday urged all the political parties to sit together and decide on a date for the next general elections in the country.

Speaking on Geo News’ programme “Capital Talk”, hosted by Hamid Mir, Zardari said that the general elections should be held at the same time across the country, as the federal government and Supreme Court are in a virtual standoff over holding the polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The problem is not that we are afraid of elections,” he said, adding that his party did not have an objection to the polls but its “timing”. The PPP leader maintained that his party had joined the National Assembly with just 14 seats in the past.

Stressing the need for talks between all the political forces, the former president said, “Our words carry weight when we talk to our allies.” Referring to alleged favouritism shown to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan by the judiciary and the establishment, Zardari said: “There is a domicile difference between Imran Khan and me.”

Slamming Khan, the PPP leader said that the political workers stage protests but they do not pick up weapons. He claimed that Khan is not a popular leader, saying that he paid the people.

Responding to a question about former chief of army staff General (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa, the PPP leader revealed that he and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had asked Bajwa not to seek resignation from Khan.

He maintained that they decided to topple the PTI-led government as the deposed prime minister had devised a plan to stay in power till 2035 by “picking an army chief of his choice”.

Zardari revealed that he inferred from Bajwa’s body language and his talk with Hamid Mir that he can impose martial law. The former president said that he told Bajwa to take over, warning him that it’s easy to ride a lion but hard to get down, and the general stepped back.

Earlier, according to Online news agency, Zardari said Allah Almighty is super king and no one can be sidelined. This was his reply to a question by a journalist in a TV programme. “You said Faiz Hameed had been sidelined,” the journalist said.