Zardari bares soul on political intrigue, international conspiracies and corruption

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, in a surprising burst of candour, bared his soul to PPP parliamentarians on issues as diverse as international conspiracies, devious politics, the agony of his incarceration, and surprisingly, his reaction to institutionalising corruption.

According to insiders who heard his blunt talk at the Presidency during a dinner hosted by him for PPP parliamentarians, Zardari surprised his party members by stating that the Americans might have felt disappointed with the government for not meeting all their demands, the Dawn reported.

That could be renegotiated “with us or whoever succeeds us,” he added.

He also stated that not only the domestic opposition but also international forces are involved in whipping up a storm against the government, has vowed not to submit to any dictation

Zardari also expressed displeasure with the local as well as international press for running reports against the present set-up in Pakistan.

The president declared that although he knew how the MQM had treated PPP workers in the past, he would not take revenge, and would continue working for reconciliation with all political forces.

Perhaps for the first time, Zardari admitted that the party had mishandled the issue of the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), and without naming anybody, accused some advisers of misleading both the party and the government on the issue.

Though he avoided passing any harsh remarks against the judiciary, at one point he noted that the judges had kept putting off his bail applications.

Abdul Qayyum Jatoi, MNA from Muzaffargarh, repeated his controversial remarks that had cost him his ministry last week, and got an appreciative nod from the chair, sources claimed.

Jatoi was forced to resign over his hostile remarks against the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and the Army, and his outrageous statement: “Only the ruling parties should not be given the right to corruption, rather this right should be given to everyone.” (ANI)