Tag: Asif Ali Zardari

  • JKT reacts to reports of joining PPP, seeks ‘insaf from Tehreek-e-Insaf’

    JKT reacts to reports of joining PPP, seeks ‘insaf from Tehreek-e-Insaf’

    Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen has said that his loyalty to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was being tested, but he is not parting ways with the ruling party.

    Speaking to the media after he arrived at a banking court to attend his bail hearing, he was reacting to claims by Shehla Raza of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    Raza had a day earlier claimed that Tareen was soon joining the PPP.

    “Not one, not two but three FIRs have been registered against me,” he said on Wednesday. “Out of the 80 sugar mill owners, all they could see was Jahangir Tareen,” he said, questioning why he was being subjected to “revenge”.

    The PTI leader said his “loyalty was being tested”. He added that an inquiry against him, relating to the sugar crisis, has been going on for the last year.

    He lamented that his accounts as well as those belonging to his son, Ali Tareen, had been frozen. “Why have my accounts been frozen? Who is doing this? Who benefits from this?” he asked. Tareen said he was “asking for justice from (PTI) [League of Justice]”, adding that he was a friend, but being “pushed towards enmity”.

    In response to a question, Tareen said it was time to expose those involved in a conspiracy against him. He said PM Imran could expose the person who was hell-bent on exacting revenge against him.

    Despite his grievances against the ruling party, Tareen said he was not parting ways with the PTI. “I am a member of the PTI and will remain so,” he said.

    When a reporter asked Tareen whether he was about to meet former president and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, he said the reports were baseless.

  • Top PPP leaders also unhappy over reason behind differences with Opp alliance

    Top PPP leaders also unhappy over reason behind differences with Opp alliance

    Former Senate chairman and senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has said that the party should not have taken the support of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Dilawar Khan group in the Senate for the post of opposition leader in the upper house of Parliament.

    The move, that has also been spoken against by PPP’s Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, is the latest bone of contention among members of the joint opposition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    “Though the slot of the opposition leader in the Senate was right of the PPP being a largest single party at the opposition benches, it should not take n the support of the BAP Senators Dilawar group for the slot of opposition leader in the Senate,” he said while answering a query of The News on Wednesday.

    Rabbani said the support of BAP in the Senate was not good for the ideological foundations of the PPP, adding that rules of the Senate were clear that the slot goes to the single largest party at the opposition benches.

    He advised the opposition to keep its unity intact for broader object of supremacy of the constitution and parliament and objectives of supremacy of the constitution could not be achieved without unity in the ranks of the opposition.

    “It’s time to stand united to achieve the objectives,” he said.

    Earlier, Khokhar also said that the party should not have sought the support of BAP and led to this infighting that is only benefitting the government.

  • VIDEO: Zardari is life-long chairman of son-in-laws’ union, I am the general secy, says Capt (r) Safdar

    As both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) reportedly pour in efforts to save the sinking ship of the opposition alliance amid growing differences, a statement by PML-N’s Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar has left netizens in fits of laughter.

    Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Safdar said the media shouldn’t expect him to comment over the straining relations between the PPP and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    “[PPP chief] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is like a brother to me while his father [and PPP co-chairperson] Asif Ali Zardari is the life-long president of the son-in-law’s union. I am the general secretary,” said the son-in-law of former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif.

    So, Safdar went on to say, he shared a lot of relations with the PPP leadership and wouldn’t give any statement.

    Earlier, his wife and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also refused to answer a journalist’s query regarding reports of the PPP backstabbing the opposition alliance.

    ZARDARI & SAFDAR:

    The son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a landowner from Sindh, Zardari rose to prominence after his 1987 marriage to PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter Benazir Bhutto, who became the PM of Pakistan after her election in 1988.

    After his wife’s assassination in 2007, Zardari, the new co-chairperson, led the PPP to victory in the 2008 general election.

    Safdar, on the other hand, married Maryam Nawaz in 1992 while he was serving as a captain in the Pakistan Army and had been the military secretary to then PM Nawaz Sharif.

    After retiring from the military, he joined the civil service. He joined politics after returning to Pakistan from exile in 2007 along with the Sharif family and is now a key PML-N leader.

  • ‘Too-weak-to-fight-establishment Zardari’ has also apologised to Maryam, Rana Sanaullah claims

    ‘Too-weak-to-fight-establishment Zardari’ has also apologised to Maryam, Rana Sanaullah claims

    Punjab president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Rana Sanaullah, has revealed that confusion prevails among ranks of the joint opposition ever since Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — also a member of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), said he is weak and cannot fight the establishment on his own.

    The PML-N leader, speaking to Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, said he was unable to understand what the former president meant by that statement.

    Sanaullah said the joint opposition had decided that office of the leader of opposition in Senate would be set aside for the PML-N but the PPP kept saying it deserved to appoint him or her from within their ranks.

    “During Zardari’s speech, someone came inside [his room] and said that there is chaos outside. After that, Zardari changed his stance,” he said.

    Following the disturbance, according to Sanaullah, Zardari said he is weak and cannot fight the establishment on his own. “I have only one son, and no one else.”

    Sana also said PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was upset over some words of the former president’s speech, adding that the PPP co-chairman even apologised to Maryam Nawaz for it.

    The PML-N leader was talking about the key PDM meeting from last week during which opposition parties were unable to achieve a breakthrough on the issue of resignations from the parliament before the long march as the PPP remained the only party reluctant to resign.

    Following the meeting, rumours of the PPP backstabbing the joint opposition went rife, as they remained at crossroads over the appointment of the Upper House’s Opp leader.

    “It was not my intention to hurt your feelings,” Zardari said to Maryam after the meeting during which Zardari had spoken at length to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif via videoconferencing and urged him to return to Pakistan if he was ready to wage a war against the government.

    Maryam and Bilawal have reportedly since been trading barbs.

  • Is PDM over? Nawaz believes ‘you know why’ PPP isn’t sure about long march, resignations

    Is PDM over? Nawaz believes ‘you know why’ PPP isn’t sure about long march, resignations

    With differences apparently coming to the fore among ranks of the opposition alliance as the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) seems to be stepping back from confrontation, a statement by former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has raised quite a few eyebrows.

    Talking about the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) Tuesday meeting, Nawaz told reporters in London that the long march “was set to be held on its time”, but the PPP had sought time to discuss the issue of the resignation in its Central Executive Committee (CEC) due to “reasons you already know”.

    He, however, dodged a question pertaining to the possibility of a deal being struck, “a consequence of which could be delays in joint opposition’s anti-govt plans, as sought by the PPP time and again over the past several months”.

    Earlier in the day, PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo to return to Pakistan to strengthen the PDM.

    The two senior leaders spoke during the meeting of the anti-government alliance, wherein the former president told Nawaz that he must be ready to go to jail if they wish to fight against the establishment.

    Zardari said that he remained in jail for 14 years. He urged the PML-N supremo to return to the country at the earliest. He complained that PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar did not come to Pakistan to cast his vote in the Senate election.

    “The struggle against the establishment should be aimed at achieving democratic stability, instead of settling personal scores,” Zardari told the meeting.

    Nawaz, who attended the meeting through video link, was told that he needs to return whether the PDM moves forward with a long march or a no-confidence motion. Zardari further said that Nawaz’s presence was extremely important to secure support from Punjab.

    Speaking to Nawaz about the idea of mass resignations, Zardari maintained that such a move would only help PM Imran Khan and the members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    He further stated that no move would be made to divide the parties of the PDM, emphasising that their war is within the parliament, not from the mountains.

    “When you return to Pakistan, we will hand over our resignations to you,” Zardari added, urging both Sharif and Dar to return.

    Defending her father, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz stressed that her father’s “life is in danger” and questioned how he could return under the circumstances.

    “Does Zardari sahab guarantee that my father’s life will not be in danger in Pakistan?”

    Maryam then reportedly said that she is there “of her own accord”.

    “Just like you are on video link, so is Mian sahab,” she said.

    She said that Nawaz’s life is “threatened under NAB custody” and that he had suffered “two heart attacks while in jail”.

    While the episode has “exposed” cracks within the opposition alliance which analysts say have now been there for a long time, reports claim Zardari later apologised to Maryam.

    “It was never my intent to have you apologise. I merely considered myself a daughter to you and complained as Bakhtawar or Aseefa would,” Maryam reportedly told the former president.

  • Zardari asks Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan

    Zardari asks Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan

    Former president Asif Ali Zardari has reportedly asked former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan in the ongoing meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    According to reports, Zardari asked Sharif to return to Pakistan while discussing the resignations from the assemblies. He also said that “if we have to fight together, then we have to go to jail together as well”.

    “I have spent 14 years in jail,” said Zardari. He also complained about Ishaq Dar not returning to Pakistan for the Senate elections. Zardari asked both Sharif and Dar to return to the country, saying that if they return to the country, then the PPP will submit its resignations to Nawaz Sharif.

    Zardari said that if the opposition resigns from the assemblies now, it will strengthen Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as the establishment.

    Sources say that Maryam Nawaz has said her father’s life is under threat. She asked Asif Zardari to give a guarantee that nothing will happen to Nawaz Sharif upon his return.

    Later, after the meeting, core members of the PDM including Maulana Fazl ur Rahman, Maryam Nawaz and Yousuf Raza Gilani addressed a press conference in which they confirmed Zardari’s request.

  • Designer spills details on Bakhtawar’s green reception jora

    Designer spills details on Bakhtawar’s green reception jora

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and Mahmood Choudhry’s intimate nuptials is all social media can talk about – more because details and pictures from the event were limited. Now that the festivities have wrapped up, the newlyweds are sharing snippets from their wedding on social media.

    After Zara Shahjahan and Bakhtawar gave us a close up of her mehndi dress, designer Haris Ahmed has revealed the process that went behind making Bakhtawar’s reception jora, adding that it required “over 800 hours” to make.

    Read more – Bilawal shares unseen family photo from Bakhtawar’s wedding

    Sharing a lovely picture of the bride and groom, Ahmed said the outfit “harmoniously blends ace craftsmanship with the utmost design precision to create [a] look that [is] the epitome of elegance and truly timeless in appeal.”

    “Our team worked over 800 development hours to bring this precious masterpiece, defined by the finest quality of hand-woven couture produced by zardozi “the art of gold sewing”, layered with the sucha gota “real gota” and [an] intricate twist of glistening threads that accentuate the design and reflects creativity that reinvents the traditional aesthetic,” added the designer.

    Ahmed also shared a picture of the outfit as it was being prepared in the workshop.

    In a separate post, the designer revealed that the Brunswick green pure raw silk and chiffon ensemble was hand embellished with sucha (pure) heavy gota work.

    Meanwhile, Bakhtawar shared a video from her muun dikhayi and a colourful picture from her mehndi on social media.

  • Bakhtawar celebrates birthday with Bilawal, Aseefa, says she is ‘sticking to 30’ this year

    Days before she ties the knot, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari is celebrating her 31st birthday with brother Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari.

    Sharing a picture of herself with her siblings and Khala Sanam Bhutto, Bakhtawar thanked everyone for their wishes, joking that she is “sticking to 30” this year because “2020 didn’t count right?”

    Sharing the same picture from a different angle, Bilawal also wished his sister a very happy birthday. As per details, the PPP Chairman has suspended his political activities for a week to participate in his sister’s wedding.

    Bakhtawar is all set to tie the knot on January 29 with Dubai-based businessman, Mahmood Choudhary. A spokesperson of Bilawal House has revealed that the nikkah will take place on January 29 while the baarat is scheduled for January 30. All events are expected to take place at the bride’s residence in Karachi.

  • Zardari says PDM united to send govt home

    Zardari says PDM united to send govt home

    In an apparent attempt to bridge the rift between the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties, former president Asif Ali Zardari said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PDM will send the “failed and incompetent” government home by all means.

    In a statement issued by PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor on Sunday, the former president said that the next few months were “very important for the future of the country’s politics”.

    According to the PPP co-chairman, the PDM is united and would use all means to send the government home. “These selected rulers will fall with their own weight and they just need a last push,” he added.

    Zardari said the government will have to go home as its “inexperience and ineptness might plunge the country into a bigger crisis”.

    He further criticised the government for its inability to handle the coronavirus crisis, saying the PTI government would neither procure coronavirus vaccine nor spend anything on the public.

    The PPP government had increased the country’s exports from Rs19 billion to Rs26bn in 2008 despite global economic recession and its revenues had also doubled, he said, adding that the government also increased the salaries of the government employees by 125 per cent.

    On Saturday, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the opposition should bring a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan to send his government home. His remarks had prompted a strong response from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), with its leader Ahsan Iqbal asking the PPP chairman to show the numbers.

    The response had given rise to speculations of a rift between the PPP and other PDM parties.

    Chaudhry Manzoor was quoted by Express Tribune saying that the PPP would use all available options to send the government “home”. He said that PPP hasn’t ruled out mass resignations and the long march, adding that a final decision will be taken with consensus.

    He also denied reports of a rift between the PDM parties, saying the difference of opinion shouldn’t be misconstrued. “The Senate elections will expose fissures in the government, which is when the option of no-confidence motion can bear fruit,” he was quoted as saying.

    Meanwhile, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal welcomed Zardari’s statement, as reported by the newspaper. “If PPP has a surprise up its sleeves regarding the no-confidence motion then it should bring it on the table,” he said, reiterating that all PDM decisions are consensual.

  • ‘What is Imran to me if I can bring down Musharraf,’ says Zardari

    ‘What is Imran to me if I can bring down Musharraf,’ says Zardari

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that if he can send former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf home, then bringing Prime Minister Imran Khan down is not a problem for him.

    Speaking to a rally in Garhi Khuda Buksh to commemorate the death anniversary of slain PM Benazir Bhutto, Zardari said the opposition parties needed to change their tactics and mindset regarding the anti-government drive instead of “dictating each other”.

    The PPP would want to see all parties on a single page in the fight against the government, but “we should not dictate each other what to do”, he added. “We will have to fill up the jails,” said Zardari, adding that Benazir had left a message for her party to keep on fighting for Pakistan.

    Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the former president said that the PTI has no importance and it will come to an end just like the party formed by Gen Musharraf during his era.

    According to the PPP co-chairman, Imran government has a little time left. “They will crumble beneath their own weight.” “These [PTI] are the people who run a cricket team, not a country,” he quipped.

    The PPP leader said that incumbent government was targeting political rivals through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    “NAB is running a black market and issuing warrants for businessmen,” said Zardari, adding that the PPP never targeted the opposition politicians during its tenure.

    It is a historical fact that the country suffered whenever the democracy was derailed, he said, calling upon the PM to quit the government if he was unable to run the country.

    The country’s exports had fallen and the dollar had seen a steep rise, he said, referring to the poor state of the economy. The PPP had kept inflation in check in spite of the financial crunch, he claimed, adding that “everyone is hoping that one day Bhutto’s party will rise to power” again.

    In addition to other politicians, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz also spoke on the occasion.