Sharif plans bid for parliament

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif will soon contest by-election for National Assembly.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News at Punjab House on Monday, he refuted reports that he did not want to be a member of parliament. "I am going to contest the election and will be in parliament soon," Sharif said.

Sharif, who is busy mustering support for his party's presidential candidate, discussed the reasons for his quitting the coalition.

Sharif parted ways with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led coalition on August 25 - after the resignation of the former president Pervez Musharraf - alleging that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari did not honour an agreement to restore the supreme court judges Musharraf deposed on November 3 last year during the emergency rule.

During the interview, Sharif looked relaxed but said he was saddened by the rupture in the coalition, which he called "unfortunate". Excerpts from the interview:

Gulf News: Do you regret quitting the ruling coalition?

Nawaz Sharif: Not at all. But I am disappointed and dismayed, rather let down by the broken promises of PPP Co-Chairman Zardari. It is very unfortunate that the commitments are not honoured at this level.

Is there any chance of reconciliation and rejoining the ruling coalition?

None. Things are now beyond that point. The PPP is trying to divide the judiciary at the cost of national interests because, instead of reinstating the judges, they are picking out a few and forcing them to take fresh oath which is wrong. This policy of politicising and dividing the judiciary will damage the institution of judiciary. I don't want that. I want an independent judiciary in this country because we cannot make progress without that.

What is your future line of action?

I certainly feel that we should adopt a positive path and seriously look forward to strengthening democracy in the country and address the socio-economic, political and constitutional issues our country is facing.

At the time of joining the coalition government, we had set out an agenda to overcome the crises in the country. Had Mr Zardari adhered to his commitments, we would have changed the situation by now.

Given the situation, do you foresee early general elections?

Frankly speaking, I want to strengthen democracy in the country rather than look for early elections. But, if it happens, it will be because of the current government's way of governance. Their policy of ditching their sincere friends and not accepting the supremacy of independent judiciary and the parliament is certainly not going to help them. Or because the PPP does not have even a simple majority in parliament to sustain the government if its other allies decide to quit the coalition.

Would you ever want the military to interfere again?

No, I will never want the army to interfere in political matters. My only agenda is to have a democratic Pakistan for we have already suffered a lot at the hands of military dictators. I am not in favour of anything which would destabilise whatever form of democracy we have in the country.

My agenda is to restore full democracy with respect to the constitution, rule of law and the sanctity of the judges, which somehow remains an unfinished agenda.

You said that you will not try to destabilise the federal government even after quitting the ruling coalition but what will be your reaction if the PPP tries to overthrow your PML-N government in Punjab?

We have the right to defend our government in Punjab and we will defend it in a democratic way if there is any such attempt. I must say any such attempt on behalf of the PPP government will further destabilise the democratic system and will give rise to turmoil which will not be good for the country and the democratic process.

Do you think that your presidential candidate can win the election? Will you withdraw him at any stage before the polls on September 6?

We are determined to fight in the presidential polls. The PML-N has fielded an independent candidate in Saeeduzzaman Siddiqi, a former chief justice, who refused to bow to the military dictator and fought for the cause of democracy and supremacy of the constitution.

Going by the numbers, PPP's candidate Asif Ali Zardari seems to be a clear winner? Does your candidate stand a chance?

I don't want to predict anything. But let me tell you anything is possible because we have an independent candidate who is well respected. Also, you can't predict anything in secret polling. We are expecting a pretty good contest.

Do you believe that Zardari would abolish 17th amendment stripping him of the presidential power to dissolve the assemblies?

This is another suspicion, which is arising in our minds right now. Ideally, he should not retain any such powers and the prime minister should be the real chief executive officer of the country. But you can expect anything from Zardari after he broke his earlier promises.

Have you forgiven former president Pervez Musharraf, who took over your government in a coup in 1999?

I hold no personal vendetta against him. I am not keen on settling score with him. But all the actions he took must be reversed and he should be held accountable for his wrong doings. I also don't care whether he lives in the country or abroad.

Do you think the military operation against militants in tribal areas is the solution to the problem?

I believe the government should form its own policy to tackle this issue, instead of blindly following US policies. I must say that the issue should immediately be discussed in parliament to avoid any further complications. The parliament should form a policy as such issues cannot be resolved through the gun.

We understand the concerns of foreign countries but a shift in policy is necessary for Pakistan because our country is also a victim of terrorism. We must talk to all stakeholders.