No danger to democracy so no need to meet Nawaz: Zardari

LONDON: Former president and PPPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that there was no danger to democracy and he didn't feel need to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Zardari who is now-a-days staying in London told a Pakistani newspaper that he is very happy that Mariyam Nawaz has been made successor of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He said this in line with the thinking of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who had always supported giving full role to women in the society.

The former president said the PPP during its tenure gave important positions to women and in this connection referred to the appointments as Speaker, Foreign Minister and Ambassador to PPP women leaders.

When asked why he and Bilawal Bhutto were not holding public meeting while Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Imran Khan were doing so freely Zardari said former Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsood had demanded extortion money from him which he refused and Baitullah Mehsood then told me that I would regret over this decision.

He said in fact businessmen, transporters and politicians all pay extortion money to Taliban but the PPP has never succumbed to pressures.

In reply to a question Asif Ali Zardari said Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were not allowed to fulfill their manifesto by the non-state actors. He said these non-state actors were people like Hameed Gul and General Durrani. He said those who got Benazir Bhutto assassinated were also non-state actors.

The former president said that during PPP regime relations with the United States had improved but Nawaz Sharif put them in the reverse gear. He said he on several occasions asked Nawaz Sharif as to why he was not appointing a regular foreign minister. He replied that when there is a foreign minister he increases interaction with different countries.

He said before the Rangers moved in there were large number of No Go Areas in Karachi. He said due to consistent efforts of Rangers the situation has improved to some extent.—Originally published in The News