News Analysis |
Embattled Asif Ali Zardari has said on Thursday that his party will take the government back from the “ladla” (blue-eyed person) through a democratic process, adding that the party’s leadership will not get deterred by the “favoured one’s” tactics. According to media reports, he was addressing PPP workers on slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto’s 11th death anniversary in her hometown Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana district of Sindh.
Mr. Zardari also made it clear that he was ready to fight his political opponents “in court and everywhere else”, saying “they have started to sound like a broken record. They don’t know how to do anything except spewing rubbish on television.”
Several members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP have been arrested and being probed by the anti-corruption watchdog for their alleged misuse of authority and taking kickbacks.
As a matter of fact, shortly after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced that the government has decided to place the names of all 172 suspects named in the joint investigation team’s report in the fake bank accounts case on the no-fly list, Zardari lashed out at the government, saying: “Today, the thugs of the ladla have challenged us. We are not afraid of their tactics.
It is important to mention here that there is already an inquiry being conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Mr. Zardari and his sister. Mr. Zardari is accused of money laundering during his tenure as the president of Pakistan. It is also worth mentioning that the former president has denied all the allegations and maintained that inquiries against him were politically motivated.
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Furthermore, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was going to file a disqualification reference against the former president for failing to mention an apartment that he allegedly owns in the United States in the assets declaration submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Federal Minister maintained that the former president was bound to declare his foreign property under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. However, he did not do that and hence he is not eligible to be a member of the parliament anymore, he added. Article 62 and 63 address the qualification and disqualification of a member of the national assembly.
To avoid arrest and the trial former president is making all hue and cry but the government has decided not to sign any deal with the opposition which has further infuriated them.
Anyone found guilty of hiding assets or mentioning his/her belongings stands disqualified. The former PM was found guilty of hiding his assets and not being truthful and honest before the nation which meant he had violated the set criteria was liable to be disqualified from holding public office. It deserves merit to be mentioned here that the opposition parties accuse the sitting government of PTI of controlling the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Several members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP have been arrested and being probed by the anti-corruption watchdog for their alleged misuse of authority and taking kickbacks. But the Federal Minister on 19th December reaffirmed the stance of his government that there will be no compromise on malpractices or corruption in any department.
He further said that “the world could see” that Pakistan’s system were becoming more transparent due to the PTI’s anti-corruption stance. That stance had also encouraged increased investments in the country, he claimed. He pointed out that British Airways had resumed its flights to Pakistan and Exxon Mobil was also planning to invest in the country.
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Mr. Zardari is likely to be arrested any time soon since the JIT has submitted its detailed report before the apex court. To avoid arrest and the trial former president is making all hue and cry but the government has decided not to sign any deal with the opposition which has further infuriated them. It is important to mention that Mr. Zardari is linking all the evidence against him to the establishment and propaganda against him.