Bilawal, Zardari demand Nawaz’s resignation

PPP co-chairman vows to ‘conquer’ Punjab in 2018 polls; welcomes Faisal Saleh in PPP

JHANG: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday expressed their dissatisfaction over the Panama Papers case verdict and reiterated their demand for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.

They were speaking at a public meeting in Shah Jewna here.

Bilawal said the Panama Leaks case verdict had proved that there are two laws in the country: one for the Sharifs and the other for poor people of Pakistan. He said there was no law to punish looter and killer Sharifs because no Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report and no court of law could send them behind the bars in the Model Town Lahore killings case.

Bilawal said the youth of the country had rejected the dual justice system in the country. “If Nawaz Sharif has some prestige, he should immediately resign as the prime minister, as two judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan have declared him disqualified,” he added.

Asif Zardari, addressing the gathering, said that in the aftermath of the Panama Leaks case, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should tender his resignation; otherwise, he would not go home but somewhere else. He said no matter Nawaz Sharif goes to Madina or Landhi jail, he would be the one sending meals for him.

Zardari said the Panama verdict was an eye-wash and a joke with the nation. He criticised the verdict for referring the case to a JIT, adding that no such team could find anything and investigate the matter if judges of the Supreme Court failed to give a (consensus) verdict.

He said Nawaz Sharif only had interest in eating ‘paaye’ (a dish with trotters or hoofs of halal animals as the main ingredient) at the cost of public money, as the bureaucrats are running the government. The PPP will disclose manipulation of the previous elections of returning officers (ROs) by winning elections in 2018 with a huge majority.

Former federal minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, during his address, said that people are facing great difficulties due to 18-20 hour loadshedding. Where is ‘Showbaz’ Sharif now, he asked. He warned the federal government that if action was not taken against the FIA officials who was responsible for thrashing of women at the Islamabad airport, the PPP would take action on its own.

The PPP leadership arrived at Shah Jewna on the invitation of Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who re-joined the PPP after 14 years.

Bilawal and Asif Zardari arrived at Shah Jewna in their helicopter. They also visited the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jewna and offered dua. They also welcomed Faisal Saleh Hayat into Pakistan People’s Party's fold.

Former federal minister Rana Farooq, Khalid Kharal, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Jamil Soomro, MPA Neelum Jabbar and PPP district chapter president Agha Tariq Gilani and a large number of party workers attended the public gathering.

INP adds: Asif Zardari expressed his party’s resolve to ‘conquer’ Punjab, a stronghold of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said the PPP was defeated in the last general elections through ROs (returning officers). “We will wipe out the politics of Sharifs from the Punjab,” he claimed.

“The way we ousted former dictator Pervez Musharraf from power, we will do the same with Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

He said all the four provinces wanted to get rid of the Sharifs. “This is my first public meeting in Punjab and this is just the beginning,” added Zardari. He said no matter Nawaz Sharif goes to Madina or Landhi jail, he would be the one sending meals for him.

He said the PPP would continue its struggle till Nawaz Sharif leaves the PM’s office. “If this is all what had to be done in Panamagate, then why so much time was wasted,” he asked.