LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday hit back at JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who, it said, had turned his guns at its leadership in order to save his share in the PML-N government.

Reacting to the JUI-F chief’s comment that the PPP had become a “political orphan” and needed the help of Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Dr Tahirul Qadri, the PPP said in fact it was Fazlur Rehman who was a permanent political orphan.

PPP Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor said it was not the PPP but Fazlur Rehman who was a “permanent political orphan”.

“We wonder how a leader like Fazlur Rehman is taunting the PPP when he himself takes charity from every government. He is speaking on behalf of Nawaz Sharif to save his party’s share in the PML-N regime,” Mr Manzoor said in a statement.

The PPP leader further said Fazlur Rehman should not become a spokesman for Mr Sharif and let the PML-N men do this job. “We still respect him and expect of him to be careful in his criticism,” said the PPP leader.

PPP Vice-President Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo said no one should be worried about Zardari-Qadri meeting. “The PPP will go to any extent to help the families of Model Town incident get justice. If Dr Tahirul Qadri decides to hold a sit-in for the victims of Model Town tragedy, the PPP will be part of it,” Mr Wattoo said.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq called on PPP leader Barrister Aamir Hasan and condoled the death of his father Mian Muhammad Sharif Khalid.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2017