If you're ready for war, you want to come to Pakistan: Zardari to Nawaz
PPP President and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari held an extended video conference with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday, during which consistent with sources, the PPP leader urged the PML-N leader to return back to Pakistan.
"Nawaz Sharif sahab, if you're prepared to fight a war, you'll need to return to your country," sources within the PPP quoted Zardari as saying.
"If we all are bent fight, then we must all be prepared to travel to jail," Zardari further said to Nawaz.
The conversation between the 2 leaders was held during a gathering of the Pakistan Democratic Movement.
The PDM leaders are sitting together within the federal capital to review the political situation within the country after the recently-held Senate polls and by-elections, which, consistent with them, have shaken the ruling party.
The contentious point of the agenda is that the resignation from assemblies which has put the PPP hostile with PML-N and therefore the JUI-F who had been calling to resign from the parliament since December. The PPP, however, has been convincing them to choose an in-house change and use the resignation strategy as a “last resort”.
According to the sources, Zardari told Nawaz that "whether it's the long march or a no-confidence motion, you'll need to come to Pakistan".
"I am ready for war but my domicile is different [...] Mian sahab, you represent Punjab" sources further quoted Zardari as saying.
Zardari also discussed at length the measures he took during his presidency, the sources said.
"I gave powers to the parliament and approved the NFC (National Finance Commission Award) that my party and that i were punished," he said.
Zardari said the PPP "is able to fight until its last breath", also citing how he had spent 14 years of his life in jail.
The PPP leader also reportedly questioned how Nawaz plans on solving the people's problems.
"You never increased people's wages in your tenure, whereas I increased them," sources quoted Zardari as telling Nawaz.
Assembly resignations
Speaking of resignations from the assemblies, Zardari said that the move is tantamount to "strengthening Imran Khan's position".
The PPP co-chairman also said that no decision that sets the parties off on divergent paths must be made.
"Any differences between us will only serve the interests of these who are enemies of democracy," he said.
Zardari, consistent with sources, said: "We don't fight from the mountains. We fight from within the parliament."
The sources said that the PPP leader told the PML-N surpremo: "Mian sahab if you would like en bloc resignations then not only us, everyone will need to attend jail."
'Struggle against establishment must carry on'
According to PPP sources, Zardari said that "it isn't the primary time that democratic forces have witnessed rigging".
"We mobilised the whole nation when Benazir returned to Pakistan in 1986 then in 2007," Zardari added, consistent with sources.
The long march will need to be organised within the same manner as our preparations in 1986 and 2007, he said.
"The struggle against the establishment must keep it up for democratic stability," he added.
'Come back to Pakistan'
Zardari urged Nawaz to return to Pakistan along side Ishaq Dar. "We will then all fight together," he said.
He said that while the opposite opposition parties contested the Senate elections, Ishaq Dar didn't even come to cast his vote.
"When you come back to Pakistan, we'll fork over our resignations to you," Zardari added.
'Does Zardari sahab guarantee my father's life isn't in danger?'
Sources said that amid all the insistence by the PPP co-chairman for Nawaz to return, Maryam said that her father's "life is danger" and questioned how he can return under the circumstances.
Sources said that she asked: "Does Zardari sahab guarantee that my father's life won't be in peril in Pakistan?"
Maryam then reportedly said that she is there "of her own accord".
"Just such as you are on video link, so is Mian sahab," she said.
She said that Nawaz's life is "threatened under NAB custody" which he had had "two heart attacks while in jail".
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