Home »Top Stories » PPP and PML-N decide to form government in centre, provinces

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  • Feb 22nd, 2008
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Major political parties hostile to President Pervez Musharraf have agreed to form a coalition government but seek more time to decide whether and how they can remove the isolated ruler. Top leaders from main winners of this week's parliamentary elections held a series of meetings here on Monday to evolve agreement among themselves.

Most important among such contacts was a three-hour meeting between former premier Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. Both told a news conference later they had decided to figure out a joint government together with a Pushtoon nationalist outfit of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Awami Nationalist Party (ANP) has emerged a single largest group in the province previously ruled by a now divided and perceivably pro-military alliance of Islamic outfits. "We have agreed on a common agenda. We will work together to form the government in the centre and in the provinces," said Nawaz, who heads his own Pakistan Muslim League, after he called on Zardari. ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan also met both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari separately in the day.

Little details of Khan's meetings with the duo emerged. His party officials, however, said he would by and large agree to whatever course PPP and PML-N decide, with a demand for more provincial autonomy, a key issue the group has been fighting for over decades now.

"We are patriots. We will do what best suits Pakistan...and I think it needs a healing touch of unity now," a top ANP leader said but asked his name should not be mentioned.

Nawaz and Zardari said they had agreed to continue negotiations to decide how they could evolve consensus over the fate of Musharraf and restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, whom the beleaguered president removed last November.

The three parties-PPP (114), PML-N (84) and ANP (13), provided the women and non-Muslim seats on the basis of proportionate representation are included, are very close to grab two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. Such a numerical strength is needed to remove Musharraf through a parliamentary rebuke called the impeachment.

But the PPP at this moment does not seem to be willing to go for this option, perceivably because the United States wants Musharraf to stay for fighting war on terror.

With surging opposition to him, experts, however, believe Washington would have to review its policy of blindly backing a leader who has turned a symbol of hatred for some time now. Nawaz said he acknowledged PPP's right to decide what should be the composition of their joint federal government.

"We will ensure that you complete a full five years' term," he said, addressing Zardari's PPP. "In principle there is no disagreement on the restoration of the judiciary. We will work out the modalities in the parliament," said Nawaz Sharif .

Zardari said there were "a lot of grounds to cover" between the two parties, but added: "God willing, we will be meeting off and on. In principle, we have agreed to stay together." Asif Ali Zardari said they would not take as coalition partner, in any of their governments, people who were heading last regime that supported Musharraf for five years.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was completely outvoted by PML-N and PPP across the country in Monday's polls, that was seen as a referendum against Musharraf's overcooked pro-US policies. "We intend to strengthen Pakistan together, we are not looking at (being) pro-Musharraf. I don't believe pro-Musharraf forces exist," Zardari said. Zardari said that all of Pakistan's problems "can be solved by the political forces."

He added that the country needed a solution to a simmering insurgency in the south-western province of Balochistan and other "political autonomy issues." Nawaz said that an agreement he signed with Benazir in London three years ago would be implemented in letter and spirit.

The Charter of Democracy, as it is known, envisions politics with no role for armed forces and calls for more independence for institutions like the election commission and judiciary.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008


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