- Former president Zardari says running govt not like being a team’s captain, blasts PTI on IDPs’ repatriation, non-seriousness over APS attack information
Grilling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for “doing nothing” for Pakhtuns during their two years at the helm of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)’s affairs, former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday differentiated between leading a team as a captain and running the government.
Talking to reporters after attending the party’s workers convention at former federal minister Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan’s house, Zardari said the provincial government “could not bear the burden of a few” internally displaced persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan Agency while his former party-led government made arrangements for repatriation of Swat IDPs with dignity. He added that due to vigorous efforts of his party led-government and Pakistan Army support, peace was completely restored in Swat.
The PPP co-chairman questioned the KP government over the initiatives taken for ensuring the provision of rights of Pakhtuns and removing their growing sense of deprivation. He reminded that the party’s leaders were not allowed to campaign during last elections but “nobody can stop them this time”.
Zardari said despite prior information about the attack on Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, the provincial government did not take it seriously. He said that PPP was the first party whose leaders reached the site after the massacre, adding that the incident had united the entire nation.
Regarding the expected arrest of former PPP minister Laiqat Shabab under a newly-introduced law by the PTI’s government in KP, Zardari said that PPP workers did not fear jails as they had already faced such challenges in dictatorial regimes.
Zardari said that PPP is ardently strengthening the ties with KP people. “We have not only served Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) but are also aware of KP’s rights,” he said, adding that they had given an identity to the people of KP by renaming the province.
The meeting held at Arbab House was attended by a large number of student activists and provincial leaders of PPP.