Zardari apologises to Sharif, asks him to rejoin Govt

“It is unfortunate that he (Sharif) has refused to travel with us in the coming journey,” Zardari said in the message which was beamed by TV channels in full after midnight.

Admitting that Sharif’s feelings had been “hurt”, Zardari asked the PML-N chief to set aside “personal differences” and return to the coalition “in the interest of democracy and Pakistan”.

While announcing his decision to pull out of the coalition, Sharif had accused Zardari of violating several agreements on reinstating dozens of judges who were sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf during last year’s emergency.

Sharif also said Zardari had violated another agreement that said the PPP would not field a presidential candidate till the post was stripped of controversial powers to dismiss the parliament.

Reacting to these charges, Zardari said, “I admit that the PPP and others jointly signed a political understanding, which we are not backing away from. We just told Mr Sharif that a problem has arisen.”

Zardari explained that the PPP “had to take the help of many friends, some who are in Pakistan and some who are outside the country” in order to remove Musharraf. These “friends” believed that “Pakistan is not in a position that it can afford to look at the past or get into any confrontation”, he added.

“In this spirit, we all defeated Musharraf. After that, we are facing a test how to move forward. This is a test we must all face together,” Zardari said, adding he was optimistic that Sharif would return to the coalition and help in “building a new Pakistan”.

However, Zardari did not commit himself to the immediate restoration of the deposed judges a key demand made by Sharif. He also said the PPP would not create any difficulties for the PML-N-led government in Punjab province and expected that PML-N would not create difficulties for the PPP government in the centre.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the PML-N had taken the “extreme step of quitting the coalition in haste” and it would have been better if the party had waited for some more time for the restoration of the judges as committed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

“The PPP still desires that political forces should continue to sit together and strengthen democratic institutions to steer the country out of crisis,” he said.

The opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is now expected to join the PPP-coalition at the centre, urged Sharif to review his decision about parting ways with the alliance.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain called on Sharif to ponder over his decision in the larger interest of the country and survival of democracy in Pakistan, said a statement issued by the party. He said he was sad over the PML-N’s decision because it is “not a good omen for the future of democracy and the country”.

The PML-N had so far blocked the MQM’s entry into the coalition, accusing the party of being pro-Musharraf.

Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan, a junior partner in the coalition, deplored the PML-N’s decision to quit the alliance and said he would not play any role for reconciliation between the PPP and PML-N.

“One can only express dismay over such a decision as it would weaken the newly restored democracy. The aspirations of the nation are different from whatever has happened at the moment,” Khan told reporters.

In reply to a question about mediating between the PPP and PML-N, Khan said, “I made all possible efforts to create consensus between the two sides. (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and I also for begged three days from the coalition partners but all efforts for reconciliation went in vain. Therefore, I am not going to make even a single endeavour (in future),” he said.

The ANP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam are backing Zardari’s presidential candidature.