Nawaz took establishment's support to become pawn against PPP: Ghani

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani hit back at Nawaz Sharif after the former prime minister advised Asif Ali Zardari to refrain from war of words and mudslinging.

Ghani, addressing media earlier today, claimed that Nawaz took the establishment's support to become “a pawn against the PPP”.

Nawaz did nothing to strengthen the Parliament or political powers, the PPP leader said.

Ghani said that whatever rigging took place against the PPP in the past, its beneficiary always turned out to be Nawaz.

“Nawaz’s attitude has changed [slightly] due to the recent crisis, otherwise he has always undermined the Parliament.

“He decided to boycott elections before Bibi’s [Benazir Bhutto] assassination but she persuaded him [not to]. He was again boycotting elections after her assassination but Zardari persuaded him [not to],” Ghani pointed out.

“Nawaz is buried under the PPP’s [favours to him]. If he realised this, he wouldn’t ever be able to repay the PPP.”

Earlier today, Nawaz said that Asif Zardari’s recent statement did not befit the head of a national party and that he did not want to engage in a war of words with the former president.

Zardari had claimed on Monday that Nawaz had taken every opportunity to discredit him by making him fight with the establishment while he himself extended a hand of friendship towards them.

In a statement today, Nawaz asked whether Zardari was so innocent that he got duped by him [Nawaz]. He claimed that he sent a message disliking Zardari’s remarks during his ‘anti-establishment’ speech in 2015.