London, Mar. 12: Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif has accused the Zardari regime of plotting to assassinate him.

In an interview with The Guardian, Sharif blamed President Asif Ali Zardari of running an ‘elected dictatorship’.

“I have recently received certain information from own sources, about certain forces who are active against me. Threats to my life come from high-ranking government officials, certain topmost people in the government, my sources say,” Sharif said.

Sharif charged the Zardari regime of ruling under a veil of democracy as his policies are benefiting extremist elements only.

Talking about the Supreme Court’s verdict which disqualified him and his brother, Shahbaz Sharif from contesting election and subsequently saw Shahbaz Sharif being sacked from the Punjab Chief Minister’s post, Nawaz Sharif said : "Our mandate in Punjab has been trampled. Zardari does not show respect to other parties'' mandate. It is the worst form of dictatorship.”

However, the Zardari administration has rebuked Sharif’s accusations saying that he is trying to gain political mileage in the current volatile situation.

"The government is providing protection to Sharif so that the militants don''t take advantage of the situation. This is outlandish,” Zardari’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sherry Rehman has blamed Sharif of provoking political chaos in the country.

Rehman said the government would have facilitated the long march if it would have been a peaceful protest.

"Had the PML-N and the rightwing rump of the former lawyers'' movement decided to hold a peaceful rally, the government would have facilitated it, as it has done in the past, but Pakistan''s constitutional and democratically elected government cannot allow the rule of law to be replaced by the law of the jungle, “she added. (ANI)