'Sharifs are thieves of Pakistan'

Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family "thieves of the nation" and said God would not forgive "us" if the rulers were allowed to 'escape' this time.

"Now they [the Sharifs] will have to quit politics because they have been caught looting the country. They are thieves of the nation and if they are allowed to escape this time, God will not forgive us all," said Zardari, who was referring to the Panama Papers scandal, in which Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar figure as accused.

Zardari, who is also the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman, made these comments while addressing a public gathering at Lahore's historic Mochi Gate, according to The Express Tribune.

During the addressal, he also announced that he as well as his son, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, and his daughter, Aseefa Bhutto will contest the upcoming National Assembly polls.

He also said the polls would be fair as his party was able to get a bill passed from parliament which ensured that election in the future would be free from rigging.

He also lambasted Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a "stupid mistake" by installing coal power plants some 1,100 kilometers away from the port in green agriculture area of the Punjab.

"The coal power plant will ruin agriculture in the area and will badly affect food crops," The Express Tribune quoted Zardari as saying.