President Asif Ali Zardari has asserted that the federal government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has failed to deliver, according to sources within the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on Wednesday.
During a meeting at Bilawal House in Lahore, President Zardari stated, “We know how to make and break the governments.” He emphasized the need for unity and action, saying, “We don’t want the drawing room politics, and we must come out.” The president highlighted the country’s challenging times and urged collective efforts to save Pakistan.
Zardari also criticized the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), questioning the necessity of burdening the public with loans. He suggested direct negotiations with the IMF, implicitly addressing the federal PML-N government.
Expressing his active involvement, Zardari mentioned his presence in Lahore and Islamabad and called on everyone to fulfill their responsibilities. He confidently claimed, “There is no party parallel to the PPP in the country at this time.”
Zardari also criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, noting, “There used to be a prime minister who used to say ‘me, me’ [I, I], and now he is in jail.”
The meeting, chaired by Zardari, discussed the current political situation and the PPP’s relationship with the Punjab government. The leadership deliberated on whether to join the Punjab cabinet.
Prominent figures such as former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Hassan Murtaza, and other party leaders attended the meeting.
Speaking to reporters outside Bilawal House, PPP leader Shahzad Saeed Cheema mentioned that President Zardari reassured the party during tough times and emphasized an agro-based economic policy. Cheema also addressed a discussion regarding Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s absence from Lahore airport to welcome Zardari, noting that the PPP does not concern itself with such matters.
Cheema concluded by reiterating the party’s stance against call recording, deeming it illegal and unlawful despite its current legality.
