LAHORE: PPP co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari says PTI Chief Imran Khan is in a hurry as he thinks he is getting older and may not be able to become premier if elections are not held now.

“Actually Imran Khan is getting older. That is why he wants elections now to become prime minister. Time. Though the current political actor desires to create a political vacuum in the country through resigning from assemblies and other tactics, we will participate in every by-election,” Mr Zardari told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa PPP office-bearers, leaders and activists here at Bilawal House on Saturday.

He said the PPP could easily do Imran Khan-like politics, but it didn’t want anarchy in the country for the sake of strengthening democracy and revival of Pakistan’s economic situation.

Zardari says PPP never opted for ‘politics of anarchy’

In an obvious reference to Imran Khan and Shahbaz Sharif he said: “I am surprised that one leader wears dupatta (scarf) and another breaks mike just to become Bhuttoo. So I just want to tell them to learn well about politics of Bhuttoo that was based on ideology. And that was without any (outside) support,” he deplored.

Questioning the huge expenditures being incurred on PTI and PAT activities, he said someone should ask them that how they were affording Rs150,000 per bus rent, as they were using hundreds of buses for transportation of their workers to the rallies.

Mr Zardari said the PPP refused to become part of efforts to topple the government because it did not want to bring those into power who were betraying and fooling the youth by making tall and false claims.

Referring to the slogan of ‘change’, he said the Indian Premier Mr Modi was a tea hawker and became prime minister, whereas Imran Khan was living in a 70-acres house and had a lavish living. How they would justify the slogan of change in such a situation, he added.

Former president said since Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was his only son, his life was very dear to him. “Though the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhuttoo’s will don’t say that Bilawal should be the next PPP chairman, I cannot hold or stop him in a situation when the party workers are sacrificing their lives with leadership,” he added.

He said during last elections, not only the PPP’s central leadership was under threat but every party candidate was also receiving life threats. He urged workers to hold meetings inside their houses in current law and order situation in KP.

Mr Zardari claimed that he brought the concept of “Safe Mohalla” and “Safe city” from China but the bureaucracy never accepted it.

He said elections in Punjab were easily rigged because a perception was created that the PML-N would win in any case. He said when the PPP’s first government was toppled, late Benazir Bhuttoo gave him the option of leaving the country. “But I refused and preferred to stay with my people.”

He said when the PPP’s second government was toppled, he was in Dubai and Nawaz Sharif declared he had fled the country. However, he said, he had returned to Pakistan in two days.

He said the ministers who committed mistakes would be held accountable and also those who blackmailed the party during elections.

Mr Zardari said the digit 9 was important number in Benazir’s life. “9 was her date of birth, 9 was her date of martyrdom and Musharraf also resigned on 9th,” he said.

He said when Benazir Bhuttoo decided to go for missile technology, she had said: “I am doing it at the cost of my life”. Whereas when Gen Zia appeared in US defence committee, he promised to work on nuclear technology, but never worked on it.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2014