KHAIRPUR: Former president Asif Zardari on Thursday said a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) was given to clerics who used derogatory language.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman while speaking to the media in Khairpur responded to a question regarding the government’s earlier statements on the NRO and said, “They gave an NRO just days earlier.”

Referring to an agreement between the government and the protesters who staged sit-ins across the country following a Supreme Court verdict acquitting Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case, Zardari said, “The clerics who used derogatory language were given an NRO.”

“Those 1,200 poor people who were captured on TV will be arrested but an NRO was given to those who levelled the allegations,” the former president stated.

Commenting on the government approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout, Zardari said, “I don’t think we should go to the IMF and should instead strengthen our markets.”

Further, the PPP co-chairman said, “When we were in the government, we worked. We paid people for their land and prepared a feasibility draft for Bhasha Dam.”

Stating that the people are worried and prices of all commodities have increased, Zardari said, “When petrol and gas prices are increased then prices of all goods will rise.”

“U-turns are always taken, let’s see what happens,” he continued.

Pointing to PPP leader Manzoor Wassan, who was accompanying him, Zardari said, “Wassan dreamt that the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will not complete its term.”

Further, regarding the ongoing inquiries by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Zardari said, “No bureaucrat is ready to work in such circumstances.”

Responding to a question on former premier Nawaz Sharif, Zardari said, “Maybe, Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz are cooling down the situation.”