ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Friday labelled former military ruler Pervez Musharraf a ‘proven coward’ who fled from the court to escape jail.
Reacting to a recent interview of Musharraf in which he claimed that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari did not endure any hardship while in jail, PPP’s stalwart and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah said: “It ill behoves a dictator and a proven coward to issue such statements who, fearing being sent to jail by the court, demonstrated shameless cowardice by asking the driver to turn the vehicle towards a hospital in Rawalpindi feigning pain in chest instead of coming to the court where his lawyers were waiting for him.”
“Seldom before a dictator mortally afraid of jail has exposed himself to ridicule as Musharraf has exposed himself. The spectre of cowardice will continue to haunt and chase him,” he said.
In the interview, Musharraf had alleged that Zardari spent most of his time in the hospital rather than the jail with lavish facilities.
Shah said Zardari spent 11 years in jail, including long periods in solitary confinement without any conviction by a court.
“He was tortured while under custody and his tongue slashed. Zardari was dragged from court to court, city to city and jail to jail to torture him. Trial courts were specially set up in Attock fort on the pretext of security so as to inflict torture on him,” he added.
“For over a decade Asif Zardari was denied living with family when his children were in the formative phase of life and needed most the care of father. If this is not torture while in custody what else is this?”
“Musharraf should try to be man enough to withstand even for half a day the hardships and torture instead of ridiculing the torture Asif Zardari has endured for over a decade. The PPP would welcome Musharraf under the shade of mango tree planted by Zardari in Lahore jail if Musharraf had the courage to endure jail even for half of a day,” he contended.
He said that he would not have responded if the statement had come from anyone else and not from a “coward like Musharraf.”
Meanwhile, Zardari on Friday condemned the attempt on the life of the son of PPP leader Najmuddin Khan in Upper Dir and called for arrest of the culprits and punishment to them in accordance with the law.

Rahatullah, son of PPP leader and former federal minister Najmuddin Khan, escaped attempt on his life when unidentified people opened fire on his vehicle in Upper Dir on Wednesday.
In a statement the former President said that Najmuddin has been receiving threats for quite some time while Dir has also witnessed militant attacks in the past in which PPP leaders have lost their lives.
Najmuddin was also very active in the bye election in PK 93 Upper Dir- a seat won by the PPP candidate in a one on one contest between the ruling alliance and the opposition parties in the province, he said.
The former President called for a thorough investigation, arrest of the culprits and provision of security to the people the general and Najmuddin in general in the area.