Zardari’s remarks unhelpful for PDM: Haideri

KARACHI: JUI-F leader Ghafoor Haideri has criticised PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s stance on the PDM resignation issue, terming it “unhelpful and undermining” the alliance. However, he said they will go till the very end to keep the opposition alliance intact. The JUI-F leader was talking in the Geo News' Capital Talk on Wednesday. Haideri said all along, they kept the PPP with them and tolerated the differences also, but they did not want the PPP to move away from the PDM. "We are awaiting the PPP’s decision on resignations." He said the speech of the PPP co-chairperson was disconcerting and disturbing. It aimed at undermining the opposition alliance, which was a setback for all of us, Haideri said.

After hearing Asif Zardari on Tuesday, it appeared as if now only the formal bidding adieu remains. However, he said they will try their best till the end to keep the opposition alliance intact. "He is a senior politician and we cannot react to that." JUI-F president Maulana Fazlur Rehman advised the PPP to hold its internal meeting over the contentious issue. The time has come to drop the atomic bomb, that was referred to as such by the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Haideri said.

JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said all meetings of the PDM discussed the resignation issue. The JUI-F had independently held the Million March and the Azadi March before. “The time of attacking the government with the resignations is most opportune to rattle it," the JUI-F leader claimed. “We agreed to the PPP’s position on by-polls and the Senate election,” he said. "I should have received the seven rejected votes of Senator Gilani, but they were cast in favour of Mirza Afridi.” He demanded whether those votes belonged to the PML-N or the PPP should be investigated.