President Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharif brothers may have differences on all major issues, but keeping the media away and not speaking to the media about recent political developments in the country seems to be a common strategy.
Zardari, who is in the UK refused to talk to Pakistani reporters when PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari drew his attention towards the media standing at a spot allocated for journalists near 10 Downing Street.
When the incident was reported by the local media, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar issued a clarification that the president wanted to speak to the media but he said the media personnel “created a chaotic situation that forced the president to leave without interaction”.
Similarly, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif arrived in the UK on Monday and declined to give any information about his meeting with MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar at the British Parliament.
When contacted, Shahbaz’s staff member Afzal said the chief minister was busy in an important meeting and would call back in an hour. But despite repeated attempts, the junior Sharif did not take the call.
