Sharifs convey their anguish to Zardari after Bilawal remarks
ISLAMABAD: Displeasure has been conveyed to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari from the Sharifs over his son’s uncalled for remarks against them.
“The Sharifs — former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif — did not like the comments of Bilawal and conveyed their displeasure to the PPP top leadership,” a senior PML-N leader said.
On Saturday, Bilawal declared that like Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif had also been “selected” by the establishment for the post of premier. “Before Imran, Sharif was a selected premier. Benazir Bhutto did not allow Sharif to become Ameerul Momineen ( emir of Muslims) and led a vibrant opposition with just 17 members in the National Assembly (in 1997),” the PPP leader said and also chided Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif for his long absence from parliament. “Like the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf, the PML-N also does not give importance to parliament.”
The PML-N leader said that after the “displeasure” expressed by the Sharifs it was expected that there would be no more “friendly firework” from Bilawal. “Our party leadership has strictly directed us not to respond as we have to go together against the PTI government,” he added.
PML-N Punjab information secretary Azma Bokhari said that Bilawal should talk about future as there was no point in indulging in recriminations. “The history of the PPP and other parties is before everyone. We want the PPP to focus on the poor performance of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf regime that has made the lives of the masses miserable through price hike, inflation, unemployment, etc, and should not do a thing that hurts the common cause of the opposition,” she said.
PPP senior leader and Punjab secretary general Chaudhry Manzor said that the party chairman explained the fact when he was asked by a journalist whether Sharif was a selected prime minister like incumbent Imran Khan. “What Bilawal’s answer could have been, since the answer is very much obvious based on facts,” he maintained.