KARACHI, July 5: The Pakistan People’s Party has taken serious exception to the ‘uncalled for’ remarks of the Karachi nazim against the party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership at a dinner for President Pervez Musharraf on Friday night, asking the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership to ensure that such elements within its ranks are not allowed to derail the democratic process.

Addressing a hurriedly-called news conference here on Saturday, Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri, however, appreciated the Muttahida leadership’s decision to distance itself from the nazim’s stance.

In response to Syed Mustafa Kamal’s remarks that the PPP leadership should be ‘ashamed’ of sitting in a coalition with the PML-N whose leader Nawaz Sharif was propelled into politics by the same general who had sent Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to the gallows, she said if such outbursts continued without showing any respect for the process of reconciliation, one could then ask who enjoyed the patronage of the ISI.

The nazim had also come down on those who had criticised Mr Musharraf for his actions against Dr A.Q. Khan. Besides, he criticised some TV presenters, alleging that they were serving the interest of India, Israel and the US.

Terming the nazim’s statement “indecent, undemocratic and an act of treason,” Ms Marri demanded of the MQM to take action against him.

“The PPP co-chairman is taking up the matter with the MQM leadership,” she said, though at the same time she welcomed the position taken by the MQM on the issue. Saying that it was Asif Zardari who visited Nine-Zero and offered Fateha at the graves of Muttahida leaders and workers as the party wanted to bring in a new political culture, the minister urged the MQM leadership not to bring those people to the forefront who had no respect for the process of reconciliation.

She said as the PPP had a track record of struggle and had seen enough blood in the past, it had agreed to pursue the policy of reconciliation and was prepared to sit with anyone to achieve a bigger goal. She called upon the nazim to act within his parameters.

The minister urged all political forces to show maturity otherwise people would have no option left but to consider all politicians immature. In an emotional tone she said, “Yes, shame on the PPP for its struggle and sacrifices for democracy and refusal to follow the dictation of intelligence agencies. We will welcome the criticism of the people but will never accept the conditions of dictators.”

Referring to an advertisement about the balloting for land, the minister said the chief minister and other members of the provincial cabinet, who were pictured in the ad, were neither consulted nor were they aware of it. “The Sindh government had nothing to do with the ad,” she said, while making it clear that those involved were trying to hoodwink the people.

The minister also reacted angrily over certain remarks of the president, saying that the February 18 election results had proved who the people were with. “Why was Pervez Musharraf not moved when Akbar Bugti was killed in Balochistan or when dozens were gunned down in Karachi on May 12?” she asked.

She condemned the July 5, 1977 military action against the late Z.A. Bhutto’s government and said the same mindset still prevailed on July 5, 2008, which was reflected at the Friday dinner.