Zardari accuses Nawaz of trying to 'stir fight between Islamabad, Rawalpindi'

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in an apparent reference to recent statements by the Sharif family, on Monday said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is trying to "stir a fight between Islamabad and Rawalpindi".

In an interview, the former president said a disqualified individual cannot become a party's president in a democratic system. 

He said that following his statement, Sharif, who was then the sitting prime minister, did not hold a meeting with him out of fear.

His statement referred to an instance when Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari were both in London nearly a year ago, where the latter approached the former for a meeting, according to some media reports.

The PPP co-chairman had gone abroad in June 2015 and stayed in Dubai and London for nearly 18 months, following his controversial statement allegedly against the military.

However, reports had suggested that Nawaz had declined to meet the former president. There had been no official word on the matter from either side.

"I do not care about Nawaz Sharif's luncheon; I do not eat 'Paaye'," he said, adding, "I took my own meal along whenever I had a lunch with him."

The PPP co-chairman revealed that he has received "ten messages from Nawaz Sharif since the time he started taking heat, but did not have a word with him."

"This is not a fight between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, but Nawaz wants to make it one," he said.

He maintained that sending a politician to prison does not weaken him, however,  headded, "Let's see, which jail Nawaz is sent to; in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan or Sindh."