ISLAMABAD            -         Former President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday said that the federal government lacked the political wisdom.

He said that the people in federal government do not have the political realisation and will further aggravate crisis which the country is faced with.

Zardari said that a year ago he had warned of the locust problem but the people in federal government did not understand.

Speaking separately over the telephone to President PPP Punjab and General Secretary PPP Punjab - Qamar Zaman Kaira and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed - Zardari said that despite two floods during PPP government (2008-2013) “we did not let any food shortage in the country. Today food security is under real threat and the loss due to locust would last for many years to come.”

Zardari discussed the current situation in the country and party issues in detail with the PPP Punjab. He asked jiyalas in Punjab to be united as the good times are not far.

Talking to PPP Punjab leaders, he said that he does not fear the cases initiated against him whether old or new as he has faced them in courts before and will also face them now. Zardari warned the government of dangerous situation if it does not give relief to the people.

The PPP supported labourers, growers and poor people of Pakistan during 2008 economic crisis in the world and brought the economy of the country back to progress with the support of labourers and growers, he added.

He said that the federal government is weakening the provinces instead of making them strong. The PPP united the federation with the help of strong provinces by 18th Amendment and the National Finance Commision further strengthened the federation, he stated.

“The current rulers neither believe in the Constitution nor any federal principle,” he was quoted as stating in a PPP statement.

Zardari said that he had apologised to Balochistan despite the fact that he had not done anything bad to them personally because he thought that it was his responsibility to bring back Balochistan back in the mainstream.

“If Akhtar Mengal has some demands then we should consider them. Akhtar Mengal is in the Parliament. The PPP is ready to play its role in resolving Balochistan’s issues. We have only one condition that the Baloch should come back in the mainstream politics of the country and give up armed struggle,” he said.

Zardari said that the State needs to be more careful now than before regarding Balochistan. “God forbid, if Akbar Bugti like incident is repeated then it will be very difficult to control the situation,”he said.