Tried to save Nawaz repeatedly but he stabbed us in back: Zardari

NAWABSHAH: The Pakistan People's Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said his party tried to save the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif time and again, “but he stabbed them in the back”.

Expressing his views after a meeting with party leader Amir Hasan, Zardari said in the past, he tried to reach an understanding with the PML-N supremo for the sake of saving democracy, but he “never mends his ways”.

The former president alleged that Nawaz did politics for personal objectives and not for democracy, whereas we are doing politics by going over and above personal benefits and political gains. We will compete with him in the upcoming elections,” Zardari said. He further said if our state institutions fail, Pakistan would eventually face the same fate as that of Afghanistan. While talking to the media at the Nawabshah Press Club, he said both Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto sacrificed their lives for the cause of democracy. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-N would have fallen apart in just one and half year if the PPP had resigned from parliament along with Imran Khan but we supported Nawaz Sharif for the cause of democracy, but he never repaid the favour and will be held accountable in the Parliament. He said he would contest the coming general election from Nawabshah as it is my city and I know its each and every street. He said "now I am among you and I would take your votes." Zardari said Faryal Talpur ran the party affairs when he was in jail. He said he never sought any personal interest, but always worked about the Peoples Party, Sindh and Pakistan.

He said we have been crying for water for the last 25 years but no one is hearing. He said we tried to construct dams to overcome water shortages while in the government but nobody supported us.

He said the PPP is the only party that can extract the country from the prevailing turbulence. Asif Zardari said while we worked for the 18th amendment to give powers to the provinces, while Nawaz Sharif was trying to remove it. He said the PML-N has damaged the economy and the price hike is at its peak and he is still questioning why was he removed. He said the 2013 election results were acknowledged despite our reservations, in the interest of democracy. He said those elections were rigged against us by the Returning Officers in Punjab.