Accusing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of trying to derail democracy in the country, cabinet members of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) sympathetic to the Pakistan Peoples’ Party on Sunday said the party had the right to rule the country for five years and demands for President Asif Ali Zardari to step down were unconstitutional and against the people’s mandate.
“The undignified language used by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif against President Asif Ali Zardari was a deplorable act and it should be condemned,” GB Finance Minister Muhammad Ali said while speaking at a press conference. Shahbaz had called Zardari a “madari” (jester) while addressing a PML-N rally in Lahore on October 28. The GB minister said the president had been elected by all parties and a refusal to recognise Zardari as president was a violation of the constitution and against the mandate of the people.
He said the PML-N, being an heir of General Zia-ul-Haq’s legacy, wanted to derail the democratic process in the country. GB Local Government Minister Engineer Ismail said the PML-N was using undemocratic and unconstitutional tactics because it knew that it would not be able to win the upcoming elections.
