PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday that he sees democratic forces in Pakistan weakening during the tenure of the two-month-old Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter's residence, Zardari said his party has made efforts for the continuity of democracy in the country for the past 10 years and to prevent any incident from happening that could weaken democratic forces.
Reiterating that the PTI administration is incapable of handling the country's affairs, the former president said he will discuss the issue with all political forces.
"[I want to] move forward along with everyone else after devising a strategy for the future," he said.
He said the aim of the opposition is not to derail the government, but to ensure that it follows democratic norms.
Asked by a reporter whether he himself will contact the PML-N leadership regarding uniting against the government's "incompetence", Zardari suggested the communication will be done through the JUI-F chief.
"We will communicate with Maulana sahib," he said with a smile.
Commenting on Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry's reported comment that Zardari should remember that he was also given relief in some cases of possible corruption, the PPP co-chairman said if he wanted to settle for a compromise, he could have done it during former military dictator retired Gen Pervez Musharraf's rule.
"If I had to do a compromise then Musharraf's era was better [than the current government]," he said, adding that unlike others who had settled for deals, he had served jail terms.
During their meeting, the JUI-F chief and Zardari discussed matters regarding bringing a resolution against the government in the parliament, sources told DawnNewsTV.
Fazl said he and Zardari had agreed during the meeting that the opposition should jointly adopt a stance against the government.
He said an All-Parties Conference will be called to present a clear strategy before the nation for the future.
