Nawaz in bid to rally Opposition for APC

LONDON—Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday formally launched his major political initiative to hold an All Parties Conference (APC) of political parties opposed to the rule of General Pervez Musharraf on the issue of collectively resigning from the National Assembly by inviting the views of Benazir Bhutto and Qazi Hussain Ahmed on the issue while talking to them on telephone.
Mr Sharif apprised both leaders about his initiative and informed them that formal letters along with a five point agenda had already been sent to them. The response by both leaders was positive with Qazi Hussain Ahmed terming the initiative as the need of the hour that should be pursued without delay.
Earlier Mr Nawaz Sharif received a delegation of the Jamaat-e-Ahle-Hadees led by its leader Senator Professor Sajid Mir that called on him at the PML-N International Secretariat here today.
Mr Sharif personally delivered the invitation letter for his proposed APC to Prof Sajid Mir whose party is part of the MMA. Talking to the press on this occasion Mr Sharif said that his five point agenda guaranteed the only mechanism for restoration of constitutional rule in the country. He said that this agenda should be turned into what he called a `charter of demands’ as it was the minimum common agenda to unite all parties other than those supporting Musharraf.
Mr Sharif said that there was a long charge sheet against General Musharraf and the Opposition should resign from the National Assembly collectively after presenting this charge sheet before the people of Pakistan. Mr Sharif said that a united struggle should be launched by the opposition and his party, being a component of the ARD, wished the MMA well as any split in the religious alliance at this time would benefit Musharraf.
The PML-N Chief said that the upcoming elections should be used by the Opposition to put Pakistan back on track rather than for attaining power. He said the prevailing phenomenon of `might is right’ must be reversed and for this the struggle required extra effort that his party was willing to put in.
However, he admitted that this was a difficult struggle that required supreme effort but he said eventually it would succeed. He dispelled the notion that there were any fissures in the PML-N on the policy to fight dictatorship and said that `defiance rather than deal’ was the party’s creed at present.—Agencies