LAHORE, Dec 16: A confidant of President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that noose was being tightened around the parliament and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was playing the role of an “executioner” to strangle democracy.

In a press conference, former law minister Babar Awan not only explained the “anti-democratic” role of Mr Sharif but also indirectly pointed finger at the establishment allegedly engaged in moves to send the PPP government packing.

Mr Awan seconded the apprehension of the prime minister that the “democratic set up is under threat” following the memo case. “Whatever the prime minister has said the other day is absolutely correct,” he said warning the PML-N leadership that it would not be the PPP government that would be sent home (in the current turmoil) but the whole democratic system would be packed up if we failed to protect it.

He said Yousuf Raza Gilani was the longest serving prime minister in a “real” democratic system in Pakistan and he was not afraid of losing his job. “The prime minister is worried about protecting the parliament and constitution.”

Smelling conspiracy in Nawaz Sharif’s move to bypass the parliament and involving the apex court to investigate the memo scandal, Babar Awan regretted that Mr Sharif had not learnt a lesson from the past. “Nawaz became instrumental in toppling Benazir Bhutto’s government twice and preferred to run away from the country after striking a deal with a dictator.”

He said now it had been clear as to why Nawaz did not want to go to the parliament. “A rope has been provided to Nawaz (to strangle the democratically elected government),” Awan said highlighting the PML-N’s “exploitative role” in the memo case.

“The PPP will check attack on the parliament with the help of masses and the government will complete its remaining term of 15 months,” he vowed.

Flanked by Punjab Assembly Opposition leader Raja Riaz and Shaukat Basra, the PPP leader ruled out a clash of institutions and said today (Dec 16) one arm (Bangladesh) was separated because of dictatorship but we would protect the remaining arm (Pakistan).

He said the parliament was strangled four times and the constitution of the country remained suspended for 37 years.

To a question about the return of President Zaradari, Babar Awan said his (Zardari’s) doctors could give a date. Present on the occasion, Punjab Governor Khalid Latif Khosa however said that the president was returning home this month. The PPP has already faced embarrassment as his leaders have so far given different versions on the health of the president and his return.

Like Mr Awan, the governor also asked Mr Sharif to strengthen the parliament instead of filing a petition with regard to the memo in the court. “The world is laughing at us because of the memo scandal,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Zaradari’s sister Faryal Talpur arrived here on Friday. She will chair a meeting of the PPP parliamentarians on Saturday at the Governor’s House and take them into confidence about the “threats” the government is facing.