HYDERABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Sindh senior vice president Syed Shah Muhammad Shah has expressed surprise over Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s statement that he will share container with Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in upcoming movement against PML-N government over Panama Leaks.

It was sad because the Panama Leaks papers also included name of Bilawal’s slain mother Benazir Bhutto, former interior minister Jahangir Tarin, Imran Khan and others, he said while speaking to journalists at a press conference at the press club on Sunday.

He said that it was shameful that the more corrupt the politician the louder he was in levelling allegations against the federal government.

“I want to ask Bilawal a few questions: who owns Surrey palace and other properties in Dubai, from where the money has come to buy such properties? Bilawal must know who sold thousands of acres of Sindh’s land to Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz at a meagre price? Who ate up massive land of the poor Sindhis in the name of Zulfiqarabad? How did PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari bought off all sugar mills of the province and from where he got money for it?” he said.

He said that if Mr Zardari was an honest politician as his party leaders try to portray him then why his associates like Shajeel Inam Memon, Faryal Talpur, Ali Hassan Zardari, Dr Asim Hussain, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Yousuf Raza Gilani and others were steeped in corruption.

“Who destroyed Sindh’s irrigation system by deliberately breaching Thori Bund (river embankment) and thereby displaced 15 million people, ruined educational system and destroyed hospitals? Bilawal should pose a question to the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly, Khurshid Shah, what was Mr Shah’s financial position before he entered politics,” he said.

Mr Shah said that all assets of PPP leaders, as they were before 1988, must be made public in order to assess change in their financial status.

He said that Sharif inked the Charter of Democracy to save the country from dictatorship and under this charter no political party was allowed to shake hands with any undemocratic force or dictator.

“But Mr Zardari must answer who made a compromise with retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, who pocketed billions of rupees under the NRO and who released terrorists from jails,” he said.

He said the charter came to an end when PPP accepted Musharraf as president of the country and when Mr Zardari imposed Governor’s rule in Punjab. “I ask PPP leaders who patronised Lyari gangsters including Uzair Baloch and disturbed peace in Karachi,” he said.

Mr Shah expressed astonishment over a statement by adviser to chief minister on information, Maula Bux Chandio, that PML-N was a product of Gen Ziaul Haq. Mr Chandio and some political activists had forgotten the fact that PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto himself was included in the cabinet of the first martial law dictator Ayub Khan, he said.

Which meant, he said, PPP was a product of the first martial law as Z.A. Bhutto was also part of the cabinet of dictator Yahya Khan who took over after Ayub Khan.

Mr Shah said that some political orphans were attempting to weaken the democratic system. “Taliban Khan and Tahirul Qadri are once again preparing to put up a show while Mr Khan has given Rs300 million to Darul Uloom Haqqania, which is known to be a Taliban sympathiser,” he said.

He said that although three-year-old PML-N government had inherited several issues like terrorism, energy shortfall, corruption and lawlessness but the prime minister set to the task of resolving all of them on a priority basis immediately after assuming power.

The prime minister would resolve the energy crisis before 2018 elections and the party wound again get new mandate in next polls.

Almost all terrorists had been eliminated and the rest of them who escaped death were on the run. Military operation Zarb-i-Azb had achieved many significant successes and the political and military leadership were on the same page, he said.

Mr Shah said that political and military leadership resolved Afghan border issue amicably and advised all neighbouring countries including India, Iran, Afghanistan and China to work together to resolve all disputed matters in a peaceful manner.

PML-N leaders Kheldas Kohistani, Khalid Shaikh, Didar Solangi and others were also present at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2016