Halt accountability and move forward, Zardari tells PTI

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has called on the ruling party to end to its accountability drive and “move forward”, as he suggested political forces should unite to force out the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Zardari thanked Opposition parties and the government coalition parties for backing the production order. The former president’s production orders were unexpectedly issued late on Wednesday night, when National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser issued them alongside the production orders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Criticising the PTI’s budget 2019-20, Zardari said it has raised a considerable amount of trepidation among the countrymen. “There is fear among the businessmen. If you have more than Rs500,000 in your cheque book, then you receive a notice to give an explanation for it. There is no doubt that this budget was not made by them.”

The PPP co-chairman also said the government and the opposition should sit together to devise an economic policy to move forward, which should be compulsory for future governments to follow.

This was Zardari’s first appearance on the floor of the Assembly since his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). “Let us own the the economic policy , so it remains forever,” the former president said.

Zardari’s daughters — Aseefa and Bakhtawar — were present in the NA gallery while party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was seated next to him in the House.

The former president said industries were facing problems while the poor were unable to get a sigh of relief. “If the budget is as good as expected and if we are getting money from the IMF (International Monetary Fund), why are people crying? Why are the industries crying?” he asked.

Zardari said the salaries of government employees had been raised in the budget but taxes were also increased along with it. He also stressed to resolve the issues in the agricultural sector which is the backbone of the country’s economy.

The PPP co-chairman said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto sacrificed their lives for democracy and he himself raised slogan of “Pakistan Khappay (we want Pakistan)” after Benazir’s death, he added.

“Pakistan is our identity and we are nothing without it,” he said. Coming into power after a decade of dictatorship, Zardari said politicians were not victimised despite serving under a dictator. “We let them be as we wanted to concentrate on getting the country back on track,” he added. He thanked Baloch leaders including Akhtar Mengal and Shah Zain Bugti for standing with opposition demanding the production orders of detained leaders. Though they are not our political ally but PPP would remember their act of kindness, he added. Zardari said: “Detention is not new for us and I used to come to Assembly from jail in past.” In the end, he asked the government to focus on resolving the public’s issues.

Later, speaking to reporters, Zardari said: “If political forces do not step forward, other forces will.” When asked if he had reservations over the appointment of NAB Deputy Chairman Hussain Asghar as the head of the Prime Minister’s newly-announced commission of inquiry — which is tasked with determining how the country’s loans increased by 24 trillion rupees in the previous two regimes — Zardari said: “We have reservations on everyone from top to bottom.” Zardari also said his spirits were high despite his incarceration.