PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said Thursday the multi-party alliance of PDM has decided to file no-confidence motions in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies.
\nIn an interview with a private news channel on Thursday, the former president insisted that holding early general elections in the country is neither good for the PTI nor democracy.
\nThe PPP leader also said that they would contest elections if PTI succeeds in dissolving the Punjab and KP assemblies. \u201cWe shall see how many MPAs can the PTI get elected.\u201d
\nHe added that they would continue to play the role of the opposition if the assemblies are not dissolved.
\nThe PPP insisted that there should be a change of government in Punjab as the coalition parties had the numbers, and they could be increased in the days to come.
\n“We will speak to Pervez Elahi, but we have other choices as well.”
\nIn response to a question regarding the no-confidence motion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa \u2014 where the PTI has been in power since 2013 \u2014 Zardari said: \u201cWe [PDM] has seats in KP as well but some of our friends were misguided and we need only need to bring them back.\u201d
\nZardari, addressing allegations levelled against him for being involved in horse trading at the time when a no-confidence motion was tabled against Khan, questioned which National Assembly members were bought by the PDM, adding that these matters aren\u2019t just about bribing the people and dissolving assemblies. \u201cI didn\u2019t buy anybody there was no need,\u201d he asserted.
\nThe statement from the PPP co-chairman comes at a time when several PTI lawmakers in Punjab, according to sources, have advised the party’s chairman, Imran Khan, against dissolving the provincial assembly immediately.
\n‘Is this your popularity?’
\nTaking a jibe at Khan, the ex-president said in the last two months, he had himself shot and then, just managed to gather 25,000 people. “Is this your popularity?”
\nThe PPP leader said his party was ready to face Khan “anywhere and everywhere” as it was not an issue. He added that PPP was strong in Punjab as the leaders were with the party for the last 40 years.
\n“Yes, since we did not come into power for the last 30 years we have fallen a bit weak there, and we are trying to overcome those setbacks,” he said.
\nThe former president said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should hold Khan accountable and that the government would not resort to the politics of revenge.
\n“Also, anyone can get arrested before the elections, even Imran Khan. His [Khan’s] game is big, and its foundations are abroad,” the PPP co-chairman said.
\n\u2018If they want to talk they can talk to Mian sb\u2019
\nResponding to a question regarding President Dr Arif Alvi, who belongs to PTI, Zardari said that to comment on the president\u2019s impeachment would be too early.
\n\u201cThe president has no power what are we going to take from him,\u201d he said, however, the PPP chairman didn\u2019t rule out the possibility of tabling a no-trust motion against the president.
\nRegarding negotiations with PTI, Zardari said that dialogue can be held with PTI as well, \u201cbut for negotiations, people need to fix their characters.\u201d
\n\u201cIf they [PTI] wants to talk to the coalition government they can talk to Mian [Nawaz Sharif] sahib,\u201d he said.
\n\u2018I do not know COAS Gen Asim Munir\u2019
\nExpressing his unfamiliarity with the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir Zardari said he did not know \u201cthe person who is appointed as the new army chief\u201d.
\nThe PPP leader said that in line with the decision of the institution, the senior officer has been appointed as the army chief. He maintained that the former army chief had never asked him for an extension in the tenure of his service.
\n\u201cA new thought and wind will blow in the country,\u201d Zardari stated.
\nBerating PTI, Zardari said: \u201cIf Khan had taken a wrong decision, it would have been more difficult for the nation.\u201d He maintained that they have restrained the PTI chair from doing so.
\n\u201cConspiracy narrative and waving paper [US cypher] are non-serious things,\u201d he added.
\nReferring to PTI\u2019s allegations about the diplomatic cable, the PPP leader asked, \u201cWhy did you want to get into the bad books of the US for your whole life? Go alone in their bad books, why do you [Khan] want to take Pakistan along with him.\u201d
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