PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said the option of going to prison will not benefit former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he has already lost the ‘political game’ and that the PPP will form the next government in the centre.

Addressing the workers convention at the residence of former federal minister Arbab Alamgir Khalil in Tehkal area here on Tuesday, the PPPP leader claimed that his party was fast gaining popularity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, while rest of the political parties would be unable to win the next elections.

“Nawaz Sharif is asking why he has been ousted (as PM) but I will rather ask why he stepped down if he did not fear anyone. He stepped down out of fear,” he said, adding that the PML-N would be come into power next time.

The PPP co-chairman said he knew well about rigging in the 2013 general elections but didn’t create problems and gave chance to the Nawaz Sharif party to rule the centre and Imran Khan’s PTI to form government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but both of them failed to live up to the expectations of the people.

He said his party remained out of power for five years but it did not matter as during that period, the people had seen the true face of the incompetent rulers.

“The (PML-N) rulers haven’t done anything for the people’s welfare as they focused their attention on accumulating wealth only.

“We know where the national wealth goes and will ask the culpable people about it at an appropriate time,” he warned.

Mr Zardari also came hard on PTI chairman Imran Khan and called him as a cricket player ambitious for publicity just to see his name and photo in media.

He said the PTI chief was ambitious to become prime minister but since he did not have capacity to run the affairs of a province, how he would serve in such a high position (PM’s).

The PPP co-chairman asked the people, especially youths, to be careful about both Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, who, he said, were not capable of resolving their core issues.

He said his party had always given jobs to the people but the governments of rival parties always terminated employees illegally and that his party would reinstate sacked workers after coming to power.

Mr Zardari said his party always opposed privatisation of national units and gave their shares to workers to protect their livelihood and rights.

Referring to the struggle of various political parties for the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said his party had already done a lot for welfare of the tribal people.

“We amended laws and gave identity to the people of Fata and KP, who will not let us down in the elections,” he said, adding that he would resolve all problems of Fata after forming the government in the centre.

Earlier, PPP leaders Arbab Alamgir Khalil and Asma Alamgir also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Arbab Alamgir asked the party’s leaders to stop working against each other and instead strengthen the party in the province.

He criticised the National Accountability Bureau for sending notice to his family members over corruption charges and described the move an attempt to harass them.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2017