LAHORE: Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is in the city to boost the morale of PPP cadre in Punjab for the general elections, blamed the PML-N for deliberately damaging the national economy.

“It’s the PML-N’s policy to give the worst economy to the forthcoming government,” Mr Zardari told senior PPP leadership that called on him here to discuss political strategy in Punjab in the current scenario.

Those who visited the former president included former federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and former National Assembly deputy speaker Haji Nawaz Khokhar.

Mr Zardari exhorted the leaders from Punjab to prepare for the 2018 polls. “It’s time to come out (of the comfort of drawing rooms) and take advantage of the long list of government follies and incompetence,” he said, adding that he and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be visiting all four provinces to mobilise workers.

He also met opposition leader in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan and discussed legislation in the Upper House regarding the electoral reforms law.

PPP president tells party to start work for 2018 polls

Party ticket-holders from Punjab had also met him on the occasion. Talking to them, Mr Zardari had predicted doomsday for the Sharifs keeping in view the way the political scene was unfolding, and hoped the PPP would then be in a good position to form government.

“It’s time to do homework for the 2018 elections as we have a fair chance to form the government. The PML-N’s game is over. It will be in complete disarray in the coming days.”

He further said: “This is not 2013. The 2018 elections will not belong to returning officers. The PML-N is neither in a position to manoeuvre the vote nor is there anything to the credit of Imran Khan to convince people to vote for him. We should work hard in Punjab and reach out to the masses to explain our manifesto.”

PPP Punjab Senior Vice President Aslam Gill, who also attended the meeting, told Dawn that Mr Zardari had assured the workers that he and Bilawal would establish their camp in Lahore in the run up to the next vote. He claimed that unlike in the past, none voiced any complaints showing the “positive mood” in the party camp.

PPP candidate for NA-122, Barrister Amir Hassan, said the ticket-holders were assured the central leadership would visit each constituency of Lahore ahead of the general polls.

Irked by remarks of Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf chief Imran Khan against Zardari, the PPP maintained Khan had crossed the limits of decency.

“Search your own soul before commenting on others,” PPP Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor advised the PTI chief. “Imran Khan has broken all records of misbehaviour, abuse and absurdity.”

The PPP spokesman said tall claims and abusing political rivals would not help conceal alleged corruption of the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the PPP had enough points against the PTI chief to raise, but “we don’t wish to flaunt absurdity in politics”.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2017