Zardari plays down reports of rifts within PDM ranks | The Express Tribune

Former president Asif Ali Zardari has dismissed reports of differences emerging between two major PDM parties — Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz —saying the 11-party opposition alliance was on same page in its efforts to topple the Imran Khan government.

The ailing PPP co-chairman made these remarks during a telephonic conversation with party leader Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed on Sunday, Express News reported.

The former president said sending the Prime Minster Imran Khan-led government packing has become indispensable due to “its bad governance and incompetence”.

Reports of rifts between the parties emerged on Saturday after PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal disagreed with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recommendation of tabling a no-confidence motion in parliament, instead of organising protest rallies across the country to remove the ruling party from power.

Also read: Govt determined to defeat opposition in case of no-confidence motion: Qureshi

Addressing a news conference along with PML-N Deputy Secretary General Ataullah Tarar at the party secretariat at Model Town in Lahore, Iqbal was of the view that “only a decisive long march and action can end this government”, recalling that a no-confidence motion against the government had failed in the Senate despite having numbers.

“PML-N thinks that if [PPP Chairman] Bilawal has numbers for a no-confidence motion and so many members, then he should present them [to PDM].”

However, in today’s strongly-worded statement, Zardari said the country is currently facing multiple challenges due to incompetence of the PTI government and any ‘tragic event’ can occur anytime. “Current rulers can make any major blunder which could lead the country towards a catastrophic situation,” he was quoted as saying.

Zardari said the government has failed on all fronts including dealing with Covid-19 pandemic, adding that it could not even ensure timely procurement of vaccine against the deadly virus.

The former president recalled that he had earlier predicted that the PTI government will “fall under its own weight”. “Now it has fallen, only one last push is required,” he remarked.

PPP along with PDM will send the government packing, he maintained.