PPP victim of selective rigging, says Zardari
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—The time is ripe for political forces to strengthen the democratic institutions and bury the conspiracies of anti democratic forces forever, co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Asif Ali Zardari Monday said. Addressing a meeting of losing PPPP candidates from Sindh at his house, Asif Ali Zardari said that it was incumbent upon the democratic dispensation to strengthen the institutions rather than individuals as the public has given them mandate for maintaining the supremacy of constitutional institutions in the country.
Playing its role, Pakistan People’s Party will also pursue its manifesto objective of setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to recognize and accord respect to the victims of injustices, the PPPP co-chairman said, and, “apology to the people of Balochistan was the first step in this direction.”
“PPPP intends to take measures, in association with other political parties, for strengthening the judiciary by radically altering the mode of appointments of judges and giving it financial and administrative independence,” Asif Zardari asserted. Referring to economic challenges, the PPPP leader said despite challenges the party will not shirk from its responsibility to find a solution to the problems.
He claimed that PPPP had proofs of rigging in the general elections as it was victim of selective rigging in a number of constituencies in Sindh but PPPP had “reluctantly accepted the results as it did not want to rock the boat.” “If the elections had not been selectively rigged the Party would have fared much better in the polls,” he added. The PPPP co-chairman directed the losing candidates to identify the problems faced by their constituents and draw up plans for consideration of the Party when it forms the government.
Senator Asif Zardari said that the Party was the victim of selective rigging in a number of constituencies in the province but had reluctantly accepted the results as it did not want to rock the boat. He expressed these views while addressing a meeting of the losing candidates of National and Provincial Assemblies from Sindh was held Tuesday in Islamabad to take stock of the political situation in the province and analyze how and where the elections were stolen in the province and also about the future course of action. Welcoming the participants Senator Asif Zardari said that the Party was the victim of selective rigging in a number of constituencies in the province but had reluctantly accepted the results as it did not want to rock the boat. Dilating upon the political situation in the country he said that the establishment, which had always conspired against the elected governments, had weakened after the elections. This is the time for democratic political forces to strengthen the democratic institutions in the country and bury the conspiracies of anti democratic forces for ever, he said.
Senator Asif Zardari said that if the elections had not been selectively rigged the Party would have fared much better in the polls. However, we cannot shirk from the responsibilities that lie ahead on every one of us even if the elections were rigged, he said Talking about the judges issue the PPP Co Chairman said that the Party fully realized how a weak judiciary had been manipulated by the dictatorship to scuttle democracy in the past. That is why, he said, the PPP intends to take measures, in association with other political parties, for strengthening the institution of judiciary by radically altering the mode of appointments of judges and giving it financial and administrative independence.