LAHORE: PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has accused former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of always deceiving his party (PPP) under the garb of friendship.

“He played with PPP’s sentiments under the garb of friendship. He is sending us messages, but I have also sent him a message that I will not go with him even to paradise,” said the former president while presiding over a party meeting here on Saturday.

He claimed it was the PPP that had enabled the PML-N to form government in 2013 for the sake of democracy. But after coming to power, Mr Sharif became “Mughal-i-Azam”.

Talking about the fate of the PML-N supreme leader, Mr Zardari said he did not know which jail Mian sahib might go to. “There is news of preparations in Adiala Jail, but let’s see if Mr Sharif goes there or Landhi,” he added.

Continuing his criticism of the PML-N supremo, Mr Zardari said: “They (Sharifs) have always looted the country. But we controlled the damage done to the country,” he claimed.

Talking about the PPP’s strategy for electioneering in Lahore, he said he would hold five big rallies in the city. He mentioned his party’s services to democracy in the country, saying PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the leader who gave this country its current constitution. “We threw out Pervez Musharraf from the system through dialogue, allowing democratic forces to govern the country,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Zardari directed party leaders to maintain close liaison with workers, voters and other stakeholders. “Elections are approaching fast and we need to work quickly to prepare ourselves for victory,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018