PPP wants electoral reforms, next general election as per schedule: Asif Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday said his party wanted to bring reforms in the existing electoral system and the next general elections should be held as per schedule.
In an interview to a news channel, he said a Parliamentary Electoral Reforms Committee (PERC) was in place and working to remove flaws from the present system.
Although, he said, PPP had some reservations over the 2013- elections transparency but it opted to follow a democratic path in line with the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
PPP would play its role in the Parliamentary Reforms Committee to ensure holding of free, fair and transparent elections in future, he added.
To a question that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had declared the 2015 as election year, Zardari said he was saying this for getting public attention and for keeping his supporters attached with the party.
He questioned that where was PTI's claim of introducing new faces, adding "If you look at majority leaders of PTI, they all are turn-coats or expelled by other political parties."
Commenting on establishment of Accountability Bureau in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Co-Chairman said there was no political prisoner in PPP's last five year term in the government.
But, the PTI's provincial government was inaugurating the Bureau with the arrest and questioning of veteran politician Liaquat Shabab who rendered great sacrifices for the cause of democracy.
He warned the KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and PTI Chairman Imran Khan to avoid political victimization in the name of accountability, saying "They must remember that Mr Khattak never went to jail and Imran Khan never drank jail's hot water."
Answering another question, the former president said political parties would contest the next general elections on the basis of their performance showed in their respective provinces and center. "Political parties' performance will be gauged in the next elections," he added.
When asked about the PTI's protests and sit-in, Zardari said it was doing the politics of agitation and wanted to derail the present democratically elected government. "But, PPP would not let democracy derail," he added.
He said PPP had time and again assured the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) that it would continue to support the government and strengthen democracy in the country.
About estranged Zulfiqar Mirza, Zardari said it was nothing new for PPP as several big politicians joined and parted ways with the party. Despite that PPP was not only still intact but also standing with full strength, he added.
Talking about PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the former president said Bilawal had almost completed his study abroad and would soon join practical politics.
On a query that whether Bilawal would contest the 2018- elections, Zardari said "Inshallah."
Zardari also claimed that whenever PPP came into power law and order considerably improved in Sindh including Karachi. There was significant development in Safoora incident because Sindh police were working well.
Contrary to this, he said, the KPK government could not prevent tragic Army Public School attack despite having intelligence reports.
