HYDERABAD, Dec 14: Former Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Thursday described recent meetings of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Saudi ambassador with deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and opposition parties’ leaders as “friendly interference”.

Speaking to Dawn after inaugurating a newly-installed elevator at the press club, Arbab said that Pakistan had friendly and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey and they desired to see affairs in Pakistan being run in a smooth manner. It could not be called direct interference in domestic affairs, he stressed.

He denied claims he was still calling the shots as chief minister and said the opposition parties especially Pakistan People’s Party were levelling the allegation because arrangements for his security were such that not even available to PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto. If nobody accused her of having official protocol then why was he being blamed for the same, he asked.

He dismissed PPP’s claim that he was using police against his opponents. “In fact PPP doesn’t have strong candidates against me. That’s why they are making up other issues,” he remarked.

“I have a walkover in my constituency because nobody is ready to contest against me. PPP is bringing candidates from areas other than Tharparkar. The walkover is not due to any sympathy for me on part of PPP. It has happened just by chance,” he said.

Arbab said the transfer of power would be smooth but the opposition did not want it that way. Because, if they lost they would say the elections were rigged, he remarked.

He dismissed predictions of hung parliament after elections and said that PML had a very strong position in the Punjab and the party was better placed in the province than before.

He said earlier speaking to journalists that the entire world was closely watching changing political scenario in Pakistan. “What do you think what prompted Turkish President Abdullah Gul to meet political parties’ leaders? Did Saudi Ambassador meet deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan on his own?” he asked.

About PML’s manifesto which put Islam before Pakistan, he said he had always been described as a Jehadi by his detractors. Islam comes first because it is the basis for Pakistan, he said.

He held late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s obstructions to smooth transfer of power led to disintegration of the country and the caretaker set-up was first introduced in the country after the 1977 elections were massively rigged under his government. Everywhere in the world including India a sitting government held elections, he said.