Nawaz’s govt is better than dictatorship: Zardari

While the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stepped up pressure on the governmentfor an audit of the 2013 elections, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday reaffirmed his support for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying that the worst kind of democracy is better than even a benign dictatorship.

“Nawaz Sharif’s government is better than the rule of ‘my-dear-countrymen’,” he said referring to the previous marshal laws in the country. “The PPP will not become a part of the conspiracy to derail democracy,” he told PPP supporters at a ceremony marking the party’s 47th foundation day at Bilawal House, Lahore.

“The PML-N wicket will fall when the PPP desires,” the former president said and asked his supporters to “let the Kaptaan play for now. The PPP will play on its own pitch”. He was referring to Imran Khan’s ongoing campaign against the government.

Charged PPP workers shouted ‘Go Nawaz, Go’ and ‘Ro Imran, Ro’ (cry Imran cry) when Zardari started his speech. “I like these slogans but we supported democracy irrespective of our political interests,” he told the audience.

Zardari said he has learnt the art of politics from his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, who, according to him, had a great vision. “She knew the intricacies of world politics and understood ground realities very well,” he added. “Imran Khan doesn’t have any understanding of international politics.”

The PPP co-chairman said that Imran talked about the ‘third umpire’ in all his speeches which “makes me believe that his entire cricketing career was based on the support of third umpire”. Zardari added that he spent 13-14 years in jail and faced trials and tribulations for the sake of democracy.

Zardari said that he could not “set fire to the boat of democracy which has been kept afloat by the supporters of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto”. The derailment of democracy would pave way for another dictatorship, he said. “And I believe the worst kind of democracy is better than a benign dictatorship.”

Referring to Imran, the PPP leader said “a wolf has been camping in Islamabad and polluting [the political] environment in the country”. “There is a huge difference between his and our style of politics. His politics is myopic, while we are answerable to Garhi Khuda Bukhsh for our politics,” he said referring to the hometown of the Bhutto family.

The PTI chief claims that the 2013 elections were massively rigged in favour of the PML-N and he has been calling for an audit of the elections. Zardari said his party also had reservations about the elections but he didn’t react in a way that could undermine the country.

“They [PTI leaders] are unaware of the international conspiracy against the state of Pakistan,” Zardari said. “He [Imran] doesn’t know what is happening in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and other Islamic states could have implications for Pakistan. To understand these things, he [Imran] should learn politics from a master politician,” he added. He said that on the occasion of PPP’s foundation day he pledged to continue to defend democracy for future generations.

Earlier, PPP Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo had to cut his speech short as the jiyalas shouted “Go Wattoo, Go” during his speech. Watto praised the PPP co-chairman for his politics of reconciliation and said that his [Zardari’s] policies would revive the party in Punjab.

The PPP was routed in Punjab in the 2013 parliamentary elections, triggering serious soul-searching in the party leadership.

The stage secretary, Senator Jehangir Badr, also had to face the wrath of the workers who were unhappy with his strategy and also raised slogans against him.

Earlier, a cake was also cut to celebrate the 47th foundation day of the PPP. Former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Aitzaz Ahsan, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, Manzoor Wasan and other senior leaders of the party attended the ceremony. A resolution was unanimously passed that expressed confidence in the leadership of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Rehman Malik, Manzoor Wassan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Mehreen Raja and Raja Riaz were also present at the ceremony.