TOBA TEK SINGH - Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, responding to former military dictator Pervez Musharraf’s allegations, has said if the retired general is so brave he should return to the country.

The former president was speaking to the media a day after Musharraf directly accused him of being complicit in his wife Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

Lashing out at the ex-military ruler, the PPP leader questioned why were clips of Musharraf in discos being circulated if he had gone to seek treatment for his backache.

Zardari, reacting to allegations pertaining to Murtuza Bhutto’s murder, stated that the Benazir had said that “one Bhutto has been attacked and another is being targeted”.

“Politics in the past was based on levelling allegations against political opponents,” Zardari added.

In a video released earlier this week, Musharraf said he was sending out this message as Zardari had personally called him out by blaming him for Benazir’s murder. Giving his ‘reply’, Musharraf said he was especially addressing [Benazir and Zardari’s children] Bilawal, Aseefa and Bakhtawar, as well as the Bhutto family and all Sindhis and Pakistanis who have been following “this murderer of Benazir”.

On September 18, Zardari had challenged the August 31 verdict passed by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court in Bhutto’s murder case. In his petition, filed before the Lahore High Court, he had sought the death penalty for Musharraf and two senior police officers who were sentenced by the ATC to 17 years in prison in connection with Bhutto’s murder.

During his Friday’s press conference, Zardari said that the problems of the country could only be solved through a complete understanding of economic growth, which, he said, the ruling government lacks. He also criticised the ruling PML-N for not having an appointed a foreign minister earlier.

Khawaja Asif, who was appointed as foreign minister in Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s cabinet last month, could not hold meaningful dialogue with other countries as they are aware that Asif may not retain his post after the general election 2018, Zardari opined.

“They (the PML-N) have purposefully weakened Pakistan’s case,” he added.

“The country’s youth need us, they need jobs. They have no understanding. Nothing will come off building roads, how will we pay off our debts?” Zardari questioned while criticising what he sees are the incumbent government’s ‘faults’.

When asked about fresh campaign of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan against him, Zardari said he was also going to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He criticised PTI for not implementing enough development projects in the province.

Over the development in PTI-governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zardari said that “we can’t see any progress in the province.”

Speaking about Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is being probed by National Accountability Bureau, the PPP leader said that Dar has fled and left the country injured.