LAKKI MARWAT, June 11: The provincial senior vice-president of the PML and president of the Ulema and Mashaikh wing, Pir Dr Khalid Raza Zakori, has said that the charter of democracy signed by leaders of two parties is a ploy to enter the corridors of power.

He said that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had harmed democracy and promoted autocracy in the country during the tenures.

He was talking to journalists at his residence after launching a PML membership campaign on Sunday. Mr Zakori also addressed workers on this occasion.

He said that after completion of the membership drive, elections for the posts of president, general-secretary, finance secretary, press secretary and other offices of the party would be held in a transparent manner.

“People still remember the deeds of the former prime ministers including attacking the Supreme Court, paralysing parliament and hatching conspiracies against army in order to destabilise the country,” he said.

Dismissing the criticism of opposition parties on the annual budget, he said: “Under the prevailing circumstances the government presented a balanced and people-friendly budget,” Mr Zakori added.