Nawaz threatening national security for self-interest: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was risking the national security to protect self-interest.

“Nawaz Sharif is playing a deadly game of confrontation with the institutions aimed at weakening them,” he said in a meeting with the party’s senior leaders. The former president said that in his bid to save himself and his family, Nawaz Sharif wanted to weaken the judiciary, parliament and other institutions. 

"When the institutions are not functional, then there are situations like in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya at present and even the US and Nato can’t stabilise them then,” he said. Zardari said the said countries plunged into a civil war when institutions were destroyed.

“The PPP will not let Nawaz play this dangerous game, as they plan to run away abroad after destroying the country but we will remain here,” he said. Earlier, on Wednesday, the former president had said that holding a meeting or making a contact with Nawaz Sharif would be tantamount to an act of high treason.

Addressing the party workers in Islamabad, he said that the former premier had revealed his undemocratic agenda by accusing the judges of being filled with hatred. He said the PPP would not allow Nawaz Sharif's any conspiracy against democracy to succeed.  After an abortive attempt to blackmail the judiciary, Nawaz has launched personal attacks on the honourable judges, he added.

Zardari went on to say that Nawaz had earlier pit his ministers against the army after failing to dictate the armed forces.  He said the former premier considered himself above the law and not answerable to courts.