Sharif turns down PM's post, persuade to reinstate judges
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has apparently turned down a proposal to become Pakistan's next prime minister and persuaded PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to reinstate the sacked judges.
By PTI |
ISLAMABAD: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has apparently turned down a proposal to become Pakistan's next prime minister and persuaded PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to reinstate the sacked judges in talks held on Sunday to finalise the formation of a coalition government by their parties.
Zardari went to Sharif's weekend retreat in the hill resort of Murree, 60 km from Islamabad for the third round of talks on power sharing held under tight security. They were also joined by top leaders of the two parties.
During their one-to-one parleys, Sharif turned down an offer from Zardari to be the prime minister, Geo News channel quoted sources as saying.
Sharif told Zardari that the PPP had the right to nominate the candidate for premiership as it had emerged the largest party in the February 18 general election.
Any prime ministerial candidate chosen by the PPP, irrespective of whether he was from Sindh or Punjab province, would be acceptable to the PML-N, the sources quoted Sharif as saying.
The sources said PML-N's demand for the reinstatement of judges, including the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency, a sticking point between the former rivals, was also discussed.
The sources said a resolution would be moved in parliament to reinstate the judges.
PPP's suggestion that Sharif's party should be part of the government instead of supporting it from outside was also raised. The contentious issue of the new government's relationship with Musharraf and the curbing of his powers to dismiss the prime minister and dissolve parliament also came up for discussion.
Zardari went to Sharif's weekend retreat in the hill resort of Murree, 60 km from Islamabad for the third round of talks on power sharing held under tight security. They were also joined by top leaders of the two parties.
During their one-to-one parleys, Sharif turned down an offer from Zardari to be the prime minister, Geo News channel quoted sources as saying.
Sharif told Zardari that the PPP had the right to nominate the candidate for premiership as it had emerged the largest party in the February 18 general election.
Any prime ministerial candidate chosen by the PPP, irrespective of whether he was from Sindh or Punjab province, would be acceptable to the PML-N, the sources quoted Sharif as saying.
The sources said PML-N's demand for the reinstatement of judges, including the former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, sacked by President Pervez Musharraf during last year's emergency, a sticking point between the former rivals, was also discussed.
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The sources said a resolution would be moved in parliament to reinstate the judges.
PPP's suggestion that Sharif's party should be part of the government instead of supporting it from outside was also raised. The contentious issue of the new government's relationship with Musharraf and the curbing of his powers to dismiss the prime minister and dissolve parliament also came up for discussion.
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