Sharif planning for 'greater Punjab' to built business ties in India: Zardari

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari has accused ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif of working on a conspiracy to form a "greater Punjab" by merging Indian part of the region so as to strengthen his business contacts in the neighbouring country.

Referring Sharif as a businessman, Zardari said, "There is difference in running the country and business and Sharif has a soft corner for India ."

In an interview to a private TV channel, he added, "Relations with India is other thing but relations to form "greater Punjab" by merging Indian part of the region so as to strengthen his business contacts in the neighbouring country."

When asked during the interview on what substantial evidence his allegations are based on, Zardari replied, "Several products from India including textiles are being imported to Pakistan."

Zardari questioned, "Why Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the dawat of Nawaz Sharif in December 2015?"

Zardari further stated, "We have three generation relations with Gandhi family but we don't invite people from India on our (dawats) celebrations."

Zardari claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had never come to power through a transparent electoral process. "They did not win any polls as they had never gained people's mandate; they were always brought into power. Same was the case in 2013," the Dawn quoted Zardari as saying during an interview with private TV channel.

Acknowledging Sharif as his political rival, Zardari said that the former premier has over Rs 10 billion worth business portfolio in Pakistan and it was the Federal Investigation Agency's duty to trace out Sharif's assets, not his.

In a satirical remark, Zardari said there is a difference in running the country and business. "The companies Sharif is speaking of are public limited companies and their directors are some other people."

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri had in 2016 called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif an Indian agent, who is working on the 'enemy's agenda' to destroy Pakistan.

"The rulers are allies of the enemy nations and terrorists. If their rule doesn't come to an end, they would devour every institution including Pakistan Army and Pakistan's nuclear programme," Dr Qadri said, while addressing a rally in Rawalpindi.

Hitting out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the PPP co-chairman said that PTI's politics is limited to central Punjab and it does not have any existence in Sindh or Balochistan.

"PTI will lose its turf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," he said referring to the next elections, however, added that in central Punjab all the three parties will have a tough contest.