The Hindu : Front Page : Pakistan’s Big Three stand united

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 28, 2008
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Pakistan’s Big Three stand united

Nirupama Subramanian

Corruption charges against Zardari dropped

ISLAMABAD: Three victorious parties of the February 18 election in Pakistan that claim a near two-thirds majority in the newly elected National Assembly met on Wednesday for a power lunch intended to give a signal to President Pervez Musharraf that nothing can stop them from forming the next government.

It was a historic and unprecedented show of strength and unity by the country’s largest democratic parties. More than 170 members-elect of the new Parliament representing the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Awami National Party were in attendance along with their top leadership.

As the big three — PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif and the ANP’s Asfandyar Wali Khan — and their close aides, including the likely new Prime Minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, held hands for the cameras and ate together at the head table, the talk was all about “collective responsibility” to the nation.

Mr. Zardari said the parties that had been given the mandate in the election had a “joint responsibility” to set Pakistan right.

“For 40 years, the establishment has been trying to tarnish politicians. It is time we stand united and, once and for all, get rid of this establishment and change the system,” he said. Mr. Khan also spoke of the “collective responsibility” of the political parties to the nation.

For his part, in a strident speech, Mr. Sharif reiterated his party’s position on the reinstatement of the pre-November 3 judiciary, the restoration of the 1973 Constitution, and restricting the Army to its constitutional role.

While he did not make any reference to the PML (N)’s plan of staying out of the government, he promised to ensure that all the democratic parties stayed together to fulfil this agenda.

Claiming that together they had a near two-thirds majority present in the room, Mr. Sharif said the winners were not prepared to wait “even for a single more day” for the National Assembly to convene, and demanded that the retired General Musharraf summon Parliament “as soon as” the Election Commission notified the results.

The Commission has 14 days from the date of the election to notify the results. According to officials, the notification may come as early as February 29.The day’s other important development was the government dropping all corruption cases against Mr. Zardari, minutes after the Supreme Court lifted the stay on operationalising the October 2007 National Reconciliation Ordinance, part of an agreement between General Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto for amnesty from the charges against her and her husband.

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