Pakistan crisis: Sharif meets Zardari over lunch to end stalemate

Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today met former president Asif Ali Zardari to find a way to end the political crisis in the wake of protest sit-ins by supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and Canada-based cleric Tahirul Qadri.

PPP chief Zardari met Sharif at the premier’s residence and they pledged to “protect democracy” come what may. It had also unanimously been decided that Sharif would not resign as demanded by Khan and Qadri.

Zardari also went to the right wing Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) headquarters at Mansoora and called on its chief Sirajul Haq in his efforts to defuse the crisis. This is the first visit of the left wing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief to JI headquarters in almost three decades.

Briefing journalists after Zardari-Nawaz meeting, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Zardari had assured his full support to Sharif in resolving the crisis within the limits of the constitution and law.

“Nawaz Sharif welcomed Zardari at his residence. Zardari sahib has assured his full support to Mian sahib in resolving the issues with protesting parties,” Dar said.

To a question whether Zardari had asked Sharif to resign, Dar said, “There is no question of the PM’s resignation. Rather he extended his fully support to the premier.”

The finance minister declared the government had already accepted the six demands of Khan therefore he should end his protest.

Referring to the sit-ins of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tahrik (PAT), Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said, “This is not an attack on government but on democracy and constitution.”

While Zardari came to Lahore today to give Prime Minister Sharif “a valuable piece of advice”, some PPP leaders are of the view that the premier should go for a “big sacrifice” in case he sees no alternative to avert the ongoing crisis.

They say Zardari might have told Sharif to show “big heart” to resolve the crisis and save democracy.

“To save the democratic system in the country the prime minister should go to any extend even for a big sacrifice,” PPP secretary general Sardar Latif Khosa said. “We had accepted the sacking of Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister for continuation of democracy in the country. We avoided confrontation. It was the policy of reconciliation of Zardari that averted major crises during the last PPP regime in which the PML-N played a very hostile role. Had the PPP been in the position today the PML-N is, it would have gone against us,” he said.

Khosa said the government would have to show more flexibility than the PTI and PAT to resolve the crisis.

“The government will be at the losing end if the crisis persists,” he warned.

He asked the PML-N government to “own” opposition leader Khurshid Shah’s proposal - hold investigation of rigging charges before the demand of resignation.

“This formula should be acceptable to both the government and protesting parties,” he said, adding had the government earlier paid heed to Zardari’s advice to audit four constituencies for verification of votes from last year’s polls it would have today averted this crisis.

PTI