Nawaz blames Zardari for his disqualification

SUKKUR PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday accused President Asif Ali Zardari of his disqualification from contesting elections through Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. Although President Zardari got me disqualified through Justice Dogar (now retired), I dined with him in the best interest of the country, he remarked. Talking to the media at the residence of District Nazim Ghotki Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar at Khangarh, he maintained that the implementation of Charter of Democracy (CoD) would have saved Pakistan from the trouble it was facing at this moment, adding that his party had been waiting for the repeal of the 17th Amendment two years. He said he did not want to take premiership from Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. He said that internal differences would result in collapse of democracy in the country. In Bhurban Declaration, he reminded that the PML-N had told the PPP that we dont need ministries but want restoration of judges, abolition of 17th Constitutional Amendment and implementation of CoD. The country is facing grave problems, including unemployment, hunger, price-hike, poverty, lawlessness and rampant corruption, he said. He further said there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor, which, he stated, was the basic cause of turmoil in the country. Answering a question, Nawaz said that had marital laws not been imposed in Pakistan, the country would have been ranked among the developed nations. He said there was a dire need to provide justice to the people of the country. The government had failed to solve the problems of the country, he added. He said President Zardari was not sincere in repealing the 17th Amendment, adding that he (Zardari) had made promises on several occasions to repeal the black laws but the PPP government had entered its third year but neither the 17th Amendment had been abolished nor COD had been implemented. I love the people of Sindh and Balochistan. I have special affiliation with the people of these two provinces, he said. He recalled that when he was Premier, he had taken action against dacoits in Sindh, gave yellow cabs to the people of Sindh and distributed land among landless people. I believe that the people of Sindh fully support me and would continue their support for me in future as well, he hoped. On the water issue between Sindh and Punjab, Nawaz said: I am neutral and do not support either Punjab or Sindh on this issue, he added. He said the PML-N had always given jobs on merit and that he would not allow violation of merit in the country. The leadership of the PPP was responsible for current situation being faced by the country, he said. Our manifesto is to serve for the nation, he said. The PPP was party of late Benazir Bhutto and he respected her from the core of his heart, he said, adding that the PPP should ensure implementation of manifesto of Benazir Bhutto. We will have to bring good governance in the country and there is a dire need to provide speedy and cheap justice to the people of Pakistan, he maintained. Unfortunately, I had to say that President (Zardari) is the biggest threat to democracy because he has failed to honour his commitments, he said. He said that Pervez Musharraf had changed the shape of the Constitution and murdered Akbar Bugti and got himself elected as President in the uniform but the PPP government had given him safe passage after guard of honour. How can a country or a nation change its condition if there is no rule of law and the judiciary is not allowed to function independently? Nawaz asked. The PML-N Chief said it was the responsibility of all the institutions to provide relief to the people and improve the quality of life of the common man. He said that there was no good governance in the country and future of democracy was in danger.

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