ISLAMABAD: Former President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday said the National Reconciliation Ordinance brought back democracy, Nawaz, and elections back to Pakistan. 

Addressing a press conference in the country's capital late Tuesday, the Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party said his rivals framed him. 

"Twelve cases were lodged against me in Ghulam Ishaq's tenure," he said. "I fought each one of them while I was imprisoned." 

Zardari claimed that each case against him was politically motivated. 

"I won all the cases formed against me but they [political rivals] dragged them for long durations because they feared not doing so would cost them their jobs," he said.  

The former president claimed that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's son, Murtaza, was 'martyred,' as a move to topple Benazir Bhutto's government. 

"Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) was used as a premise to imprison me," Zardari claimed, adding that he unfairly imprisoned for a prolonged period of time.  

He continued to say that his party never engaged in corrupt practices and the PPP never held any political prisoners. 

"My party never engaged in seeking revenge," he said. 

Talking about the National Accountability Bureau, Zardari said the organization has a different mindset. 

"NAB blackmails the ordinary Joe and accepts bribes to give them a clear chit," the former president claimed.   

He further said that he was never accused of wrongdoings in his five- year tenure of holding office because he never held on to power and authority. 

"Engaging in power games only result in imprisonment and death sentences," Zardari claimed.  

Referring to the recent disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding office, he said Benazir was twice removed from the PM house but a rally against the decisions was never organised by the PPP.

Court gives clean chit to Zardari in corruption case

NAB reference against Asif Ali Zardari has no legal standing, says court order

An accountability court on August 26 acquitted Zardari in a reference pertaining to his assets on Saturday.

Justice Khalid Mehmood Ranjha, of accountability court no 1, accepted the documents requesting acquittal of the PPP co-chairperson.

The reference filed by NAB has no legal standing, stated the court order.

After the verdict, Zardari?s lawyer Farooq Hamid Naek, while speaking to Geo News, explained that the reference against his client was filed in 1998 under sections of Accountability Act 1997.

He added said that the reference alleged that Zardari had created illegal assets.