LAHORE: A crucial meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz decided here on Monday that the party leaders would not meet President Asif Zardari or hold talks with him “until he implements the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and gets repealed the 17th Amendment by parliament.”
The meeting, chaired by PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif at the Chief Minister Secretariat, was attended by Opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, PML-N Sindh President Ghaus Ali Shah, PML-N Balochistan President Yaqoob Nasir, PML-N Punjab President Zulfiqar Khosa and others.
The meeting reviewed the political situation in the country and was of a unanimous view that President Asif Zardari would make an attempt to have a meeting with the PML-N leadership with the objective of gaining political mileage. The paricipants of the meeting were of the opinion that the country was reverberated with the issuance of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) beneficiaries’ lists. They said PresidentZardari might make an attempt for a scheduled meeting with the second leading political party of Pakistan to come out of the prevailing political situation. There was consensus among the meeting participants that any other meeting with President Zardari would prove fruitless like the previous ones unless he takes some visible and concrete measures to ensure the implementation of the CoD and repealing of the 17th Amendment and insertion of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution.
The meeting also reiterated its commitment that they would not become part of any attempt to derail the political process in the country, but President Zardari should also exhibit his commitment and sincerity towards strengthening of the system.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif informed the meeting about his talks with the prime minister in which he had conveyed to him the PML-N’s reservations about the forthcoming Balochistan package. Shahbaz said he told the prime minister that the Balochistan package would not be enough and the federal government should adopt measures to win the hearts of masses by undoing injustices committed against them in the past.
Later, talking to media persons, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said the meeting reviewed the political situation in the country and reorganisation of the party after dissolution of previous committees.
He said PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif had given a final shape to the national, provincial and district committees, and announcement in this regard would be made soon. He said the meeting discussed the National Reconciliation Ordinance and reiterated its commitment that they wanted supremacy of the rule of law in the country.
He said fake cases were registered against the PML-N leadership in the past as well as during President Pervez MusharrafĂs regime. However, they did not get benefit from the NRO. He said the CoD provided for establishment of an Independent Accountability Commission, to hold fair and impartial accountability of the NAB victims. He said the NRO beneficiary ministers should quit their offices immediately for a fair and free trial. He said they should defend themselves in the courts after vacating the public offices and they could rejoin their offices after getting a clean chit from the courts.
Answering a query whether they had demanded the resignation from President Asif Zardari after inclusion of his name in the NRO list, Ahsan Iqbal said the president would have to decide on the issue on his own. He said the Punjab chief minister had approved resignation of his Adviser, Saeed Mehdi. He claimed that the PML-N MNA Rana Nazeer was in the PML-Q when he benefited from the NRO. He said Rana Nazeer was not holding any public office, so there was no question of demanding his resignation.
He deplored that the NRO record was being destroyed by the government and demanded of the government to establish an independent accountability institution and appoint its chairman in consultation with the opposition.
Meanwhile, Ghaus Ali Shah told journalists that the PML-N wanted the PPP government to complete its five years in government, but the government would have to defend itself by performing in a better way.
PML-N Balochistan President Yaqoob Nasir said the government should win hearts of annoyed Baloch leaders and the people of Balochistan. He termed the Balochistan package worthless until the government solves people’s problems in the province.
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