PML (N) said on Thursday it would not budge from its 'principled' stance of reinstatement of pre-November 3 judiciary and demanded Musharraf to immediately step down labelling him a "stranger in President House."
"Our party cannot compromise on its stance on reinstatement of sacked judges because we have pledged this to our voters," Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, PML (N) chairman while talking to media persons after the party Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Parliamentary Party (PP) met here with former Prime Minister and the party quaid Nawaz Sharif in the chair.
The CEC and PP chose Nawaz Sharif its parliamentary leader in the National Assembly despite the fact that he was not elected to the assembly. The meeting also recommended the nomination of unelected Shahbaz Sharif as parliamentary leader in the Punjab assembly.
"They will take part in by-election," said Zafar, adding that nomination of Shahbaz will be endorsed by the parliamentary party of the PML (N) in the provincial assembly.
According to PML (N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the CEC mandated Nawaz Sharif to hold talks with other parties on government formation. He said the PML (N) will respect the mandate of the PPP in center. "We hope that PPP will respect our mandate in Punjab," he said.
He said that signals coming from General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, chief of army staff (COAS), were very encouraging. These signals are exactly in accordance with nation's aspirations.
He said that elections were not held in 100 percent fair manner. Apart from pre-poll rigging, there was some rigging on the polling day. We keep our options open on this issue, he said.
He said that some 18 MPAs both independents and from PML (Q) in Punjab were in contact with party leadership for rejoining the PML (N). Those who had left the party under the compulsion will be accommodated back into the party, he added.
Nawaz Sharif was informed by the CEC that no PML (N) leader would become party of establishment's dirty game. "We kept all our cards open to the masses during election campaign. Now we can keep nothing back from those who voted in our favour," said Siddiqul Farooq, another leader of the PML (N).
"The PML (N) will go to negotiations with other parties with open heart. But our principled stand on some issues will remain unchanged," he added. Musharraf himself had said that he would step down if majority of Pakistanis disliked him. The last elections were like a referendum against him. Now he should not hold back his resignation, he added. The CEC unanimously passed a resolution demanding Musharraf to resign.
He said that reinstatement of pre-November 3 judiciary, establishment of independent election commission, and the restoration of pre-October 1999 Constitution were the issues that must be accepted by other parties before forming coalition or national government.
He said that the US ambassador to Pakistan had conveyed to the PML (N) that her country was ready to work with Pakistan's new leadership emerged after the February 18 elections. The US ambassador has already talked to Nawaz Sharif.