PML-N meeting lambastes Zardari for not keeping promises

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) in a meeting held here in Raiwind on Sunday expressed its displeasure and disappointment over the attitude of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. The meeting said that on the important issue of candidature of Zardari for the slot of President, the PML-N leadership had not been taken into confidence.

PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting, which was attended and addressed among others by Ghous Ali Shah, Zafarul Haq, Nisar Ali Khan, Muhammad Asif, Zulfikar Khan Khosa, Ahsan Iqbal, Iqbal Zafar Jhaggra and others.

The meeting had been convened to arrive at some decision and chalk out future line of action in view of the prevalent political situation in the country. Majority of the speakers said that the party should ask for postponement of holding of presidential polls for at least a month. The meeting, that lasted for about four hours, took decision to hold a meeting of the central working committee on Monday in Islamabad.

Majority of speakers expressed displeasure over the attitude of PPP co-chairman for not fulfilling the promise of restoration of judges. A suggestion about PML-N abstaining from taking part in presidential elections also came under discussion in the meeting. Nawaz said that he had joined hands with Asif Zardari for the best purposes of democracy and not for gaining power as he was not a power hungry person in any manner.

He lamented that the coalition leader, despite giving several dates for reinstatement of judges, had failed to get the sacked judges restored in their offices. He, however, added that his party did not want to give the impression that democratic forces could not unite, and would wait for expiry of deadline for reinstatement of judges till Monday evening.

He said despite adverse advice on the part of party members regarding the coalition leader and ignoring his own temperament and way of thinking, he had trusted in the promises of Asif Ali Zardari, but he always had hurt his confidence.

He said PML-N and its leaders were fully committed to rid the country of crisis situation including reinstatement of judges and bringing it free of economic and the financial despair. A number of assembly members asked the party to sit on the opposition benches, and proposed that the next head of the State should be from a smaller province.

Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said that PML-N would evolve its own line of action, if its demands were not met by Monday. He along with Jhagra said that the points discussed in the meeting would again be discussed in the CEC meeting in Islamabad, after which Nawaz Sharif in a press conference would give the future line of action.

Ahsan said if PPP was not in a position to give timeframe for reinstatement of judges then there was no point in participating in ‘Draft Committee’. PML-N Secretary Information said if PPP intended to pass resolution of judges’ reinstatement by Wednesday then election schedule of presidential election should go little later. He said PML-N was firmly committed to Charter of Democracy, Muree Declaration, and Islamabad Declaration.

Ghous Ali later said that the party was examining all political developments to make its strategy and line of action. He said PML-N would maintain its credibility, and added that nothing would be concealed from the nation.