PM, Zardari vow to resolve economic crisis together

Coalition partners express complete confidence in leadership of Shehbaz

Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at his residence in Model Town, and both the leaders vowed to work jointly to rid the country of the current economic challenges.

The political and economic situation of the country was also discussed in the meeting. The participants also appreciated the incumbent government’s steps for the people’s welfare and expressed their complete confidence in the leadership of the prime minister.

Zardari was accompanied by former Senate deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla, former Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf and Rukhsana Bangash. The meeting was also attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ministers, including Rana Sanaullah, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Azam Nazeer Tarar and MPA Malik Ahmad Khan.

Later, talking to the media at Model Town, Sanaullah said that the politics of Imran Khan would be over if he was in jail even for just three days. “I wish that Imran Khan should be in the same cell in jail where I was detained,” said Sanaullah. He added that he could not take the decision alone, as it was a unity government and such decisions were taken in consultation with coalition partners. “You should pray that I get the permission for the arrest of Imran Khan,” Sanaullah said. Talking about the situation in the province, he said that Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi should first hold voting on no-trust motion submitted against him and then call the session of the assembly.

He also condemned the derogatory remarks and abusive language used by Imran Khan against PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz during a public gathering in Multan, and said the former premier wanted to destroy the moral values of society.

The minister said it was the PTI government that reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but the agreement with the IMF needed to be continued to revive the economy. He said increasing oil prices as per the IMF conditions was not acceptable to the PML-N leadership, as it could further put burden on the poor and bring another storm of inflation.