Political Desk
Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif announced to quit the ruling coalition and sit on the opposition benches in the Parliament. Addressing a crowded news conference here at the Punjab House, he also announced that former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Saeed-uz-Zaman Saddiqui will contest the presidential election as candidate of the party.
The PML-N top leader said that his party will launch Siddiqui’s election campaign in all segments of the electoral college comprising the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. Nawaz Sharif said the former chief justice is well-konwn personality who is “above party lines” and is most suitable to occupy the office of president at a time when the country needed cohesion to tackle serious problems confronting it. “The nation will be happy and feel proud on his nomination,” the PML-N Quaid said.
He said that Siddiqui would not take any unconstitutional step and defend the constitution whereas the former president subverted the constitution and rule of law. The PML-N leader said Saeed-uz-Zaman had refused to take oath under PCO when General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was in full power. Nawaz Sharif said that his party had joined the coalition with full sincerity. But he said promises were made and broken repeatedly and that “forced us to take the decision (to quit).”
PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif said he and Asif Ali Zardari had signed the Murree Declaration on March 9 this year to restore the deposed judges but it was not implemented. He said later he met PPP Co-Chairman in Dubai to restore the pre-emergency status of the judiciary and new deadline of May 12 was given in this respect. PML-N Quaid further said that he and Zardari again signed an agreement to implement Murree Declaration on August 7 at the Zardari House. He said both parties reaffirmed their commitment to restore all the deposed judges and bring judiciary back to the November 2, 2007 position. Nawaz Sharif also read out the text of a agreement and said it was agreed that the success of the impeachment resolution against the present incumbent or his resignation, a consensus will be evolved amongst the coalition partners on the name of his replacement.
According to the agreement signed by both leaders, the PML-N Quaid said that in case of the office of the President still retains the powers acquired under 17th amendment, a nationally respected, non-partisan, and pro-democracy figure acceptable to coalition partners will be put forward as the consensus candidate for the office of the President. He said in case the 17th amendment is repealed and the powers of the President are restricted to the original powers as envisaged in 1973 constitution then the PPP will have the right to put forward its own candidate.
Nawaz Sharif observed that his party joined the coalition for the restoration of the deposed judges but there was no reason to stay in the coalition as honour was not given to signed agreements. He said that his party would not compromise on the judges issue and efforts would be continued for the restoration of the pre-emergency status of the judiciary and supremacy of the constitution and law.
To a question, he said this is not an era of 80s and 90s “we do the politics on principles, adding, PML-N would play a constructive role on the opposition beaches. Answering to another question, Nawaz Sharif said that he has given a copy of an agreement to the leaders of ANP and JUI-F. Later, Saeed-uz-Zaman Saddiqui, who was present during the news conference, said that PML-N is only party in the history which is doing struggle for the independent of judiciary. He said due to principle stand on the judges issue, the PML-N popularity has been grew up in the public.
Saddiqui said the party has faced a lot of problems in the past but did not compromise on its stance. The news conference was attended by PML-N President and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Javed Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan and other senior leaders.
