Zardari brushes off Nawaz Sharif's 'Grand National Dialogue' offer

LAHORE: Expressing his indifference towards ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s offer of Grand National Dialogue, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has decided to stay away from the deposed PM’s proposal by making no contacts with him, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to sources, the former president chaired a high-level meeting at Bilawal House Lahore to consult party leaders on Sharif’s offer.

Following the meeting, Zardari said that he is not interested to establish contact with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sources quoted Zardari saying: “Nawaz Sharif’s attitude varies with passage of time as he acts completely different when he is in power. He has a different set of priorities at a time when he gains power and inverse set of priorities at a time of trouble.”

Sources said, Zardari asserted that when his party does not want to establish contact with the ousted PM then how could it be possible for him to initiate dialogue with Nawaz Sharif.

“Nawaz Sharif disdains Article 62 and 63 of the constitution when he gains power; it’s not democracy that is endangered but his political career,” sources further quoted former president as saying.

Earlier in a statement, Zardari had said his party would not support any individual derailing democracy or resorting to undemocratic norms.

It merits to mention here that Sharif had hinted at initiating a ‘Grand National Dialogue’ with other political parties following his ouster by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.