ISLAMABAD, August 29 (TNS): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said that lawmakers after the 2018 general elections can amend in articles 62 and 63.
Speaking to journalists here, former president said that there will be a higher number of independent candidates to contest in next general elections.
Asif Zardari has said that cases made against him were politically motivated, claiming that he was tortured in prison when his throat and tongue were slit. He said that he had been acquitted in the last case that was formed against him in NAB. “I defeated 12 cases which were made against me from prison,” he said. “I thank God that I have been acquitted in all cases that were made against me,” he added.
“I was arrested after being trapped in false cases, I was transferred from Lahore to Karachi and then to Landhi Jail which is a long story. There were fourteen cases against me not one,” he said.
Zardari said that he did not intent to take legal action against those who had made these cases against him. He said that Pakistan Peoples Party did not believe in taking revenge.
The former president said that he was tortured in prison and that he was accused of committing suicide, which the court had rejected. Zardari claimed that his throat and tongue were slit in prison.
“A case of narcotics and BMW was also made against me,” he said. “I spent more time in prison than the sentence I would have served if I was found guilty in these cases,” he added.
Asif Zardari said that PPP’s political opponents were favoured when those who were in power had cracked down on the party. He said that Murtaza Bhutto was martyred in order to bring down Benazir’s government.
Regarding party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the former president said that the Bhutto scion possessed full authority and that no one could say no to him.
He spoke about former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and said that when Benazir Bhutto was negotiating the National Reconciliation Order’s terms, she had also spoken about Nawaz’s return.
He also criticised NAB for biased activities in Sindh.
Zardari said that he had always kept in mind the bigger picture throughout his political career. “I could have formed my government in Punjab after 2008 but I let the Sharifs form theirs,” he said. “Without the Sharifs, I couldn’t have ousted Musharraf,” he added.
Talking about NRO, he said electoral reforms had been carried out in the pact through which the return of Nawaz Sharif was made possible. All cases were political in nature and there were eight prosecutors in each case, he claimed. PPP co-chairman further remembered the number of ‘fake’ corruption cases against him and torture in jail, maintaining that such people were made witnesses whom they he didn’t even know.
It should be noted that Rawalpindi accountability court had acquitted Zardari in a reference related to his assets in the country and abroad. NAB had, however, decided to challenge the acquittal.
He praised Benazir Bhutto for not calling any GT Road march when ousted in the 90s.
“I saved PML-N government during Dharnas. We have to initiate dialogue to strengthen the parliament. Everyone has the right to contest in elections … Imran Khan would have known more if he spent time in prison,” former President noted.
