ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the stance of many leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has defended the decision of sending 1,600 Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia.

“It is the legacy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to help Muslim countries at the time of need and send troops where required,” he said while addressing a press conference at Zardari House here on Friday.

“I cannot oppose the decision of the deployment of troops in Saudi Arabia because I cannot let down the custodian of the two Holy Mosques,” he added.

PPP co-chairman criticises Sharif for speaking against judiciary

Mr Zardari rejected an impression that the troops were being deployed for any war and asked: “Can you win a war with 1,600 soldiers ... they can only train people.”

It is for the first time that the government’s decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia has been backed by the top PPP leadership. Mr Zardari supported the decision despite the fact that PPP legislators opposed it in parliament this week and questioned under which “arrangement” Pakistani soldiers were being sent to the kingdom.

The decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was first announced by the army through a tweet on Feb 15. The opposition criticised it, asking why the announcement had not come from the government.

The PPP co-chairman praised Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for his decision to erect a 2,400km-long fence on the Pak-Afghan border for security reasons.

He supported the move, but at the same time hoped for Pakistan’s good relations with Afghanistan. “I hope that relations with Afghanistan will improve in future.”

Commenting on reports that Pakistan was being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) terror-financing watchlist, the former president said if it happened, its responsibility would fall on the government and its failed foreign policy. He termed Foreign Minster Khawaja Asif “unsuitable” for this position.

Govt criticised

Mr Zardari criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and said it had failed to provide the less populous provinces their due share in the country’s financial resources. Because of this, he added, the sense of deprivation among the people of these provinces was increasing.

“The government has provided funds only to Lahore,” he alleged and said that despite this the condition of roads in many parts of the Punjab capital were in a shambles.

“They spent money only on ring roads and the roads leading to Sharifs’ palatial houses,” he said.

In reply to a question about the PPP’s poor performance in by-elections in Lahore’s NA-120 constituency and Lodhran’s NA-154, Mr Zardari alleged that the PML-N had spent billions of rupees on its election campaigns. “Getting votes is easy if your party is in power, especially both at Centre and in the relevant province,” he said.

But he admitted that the PPP’s performance was not up to the mark. He said the party had prepared its new election rules and manifesto.

On the occasion, Mr Zardari urged PPP leader Senator Saleem Mandviwala to brief media personnel on the party’s new agenda.

The senator said the PPP had given importance to the social sector and the common man, but its details would be released by the party chairman later.

Mr Zardari criticised ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif for speaking against the judiciary and other state institutions. He also rejected Mr Sharif’s narrative that he was being targeted by the state institutions.

Talking about the upcoming Senate elections, Mr Zardari said that unlike other political parties the PPP had given party tickets to political workers who had roots in their respective constituencies.

Answering a question, he said the next general election would be held on time.

Talking about the protest lodged by the bureaucrats in Punjab against the arrest of Lahore Develop­ment Authority Director General Ahad Cheema by the National Accountability Bureau, Mr Zardari accused Nawaz Sharif of igniting the revolt in the officers.

He also alleged that the ousted prime minister was involved in corruption during his rule.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2018