PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari's bid for the presidency got a boost on Saturday when the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) announced that they would support him in the presidential race, thus, strengthening his position in the numbers game.JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, announcing his party's support for the PPP co-chairman, said that as the JUI-F was a part of the ruling coalition at the Centre, it had decided to vote for the coalition parties' nominee Asif Ali Zardari.
Talking to reporters in Peshawar, Fazl said the government had announced to halt the operation in the Bajaur Agency, a major precondition for the JUI-F's support and, therefore, his party had decided to vote for Zardari in the presidential election on September 6. He urged other political parties to follow the suit. He said that since the country was facing numerous challenges, it would be unwise to create a political crisis at this time. He asked all the political parties to evolve a consensus over the presidential election and avoid making it controversial.
| Fazl said the Taliban were not the only reason for the growing militancy in Pakistan and the intelligence agencies were equally involved in spreading the menace. |
Similarly, PPP-S President Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao also announced to support PPP candidate Asif Zardari in the presidential elections. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said: "We have decided to support Asif Zardari in view of the worsening law and order situation in the country and in order to boost political and provincial harmony."
Asif Zardari's election would strengthen all segments of the society, as he has the capability to pull the country out of the present crisis, Sherpao said. Flanked by Faryal Talpur, the sister of the PPP co-chairman, and Senator Waqar Ahmed, Aftab Sherpao said as the prime minister belonged to the PPP, so the president should also be from the same party for better working relationship among the institutions.
Asif Zardari had sent his sister, along with Mehreen Anwer Raja and Farah Naz Isphahani, to get the support of Aftab Sherpao. A few days back, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had also visited the residence of the former interior minister to get his support for Zardari's candidature.
Sherpao said all the political parties should join hands for improvement in the law and order in the country. Responding to a question regarding the impeachment of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, Sherpao said his party had decided to support all the democratic forces in this connection.
Answering another question regarding the unification of the PPP and PPP-S, he said it was premature to say anything. "At this moment, we should focus on the presidential elections," he added.
Faryal Talpur thanked Aftab Sherpao for his party's support and said the PPP always believed in political reconciliation, and the support showed that political parties of the country had agreed to the PPP agenda.