Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has agreed to remove Pervez Musharraf from the Presidency, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday at a news conference in the eastern city of Lahore.
Addressing the news conference, Sharif said that Musharraf should be tried for sedition and should not be given a safe exit.
The country's destiny will change in the coming days, said Sharif.
Local TV channel DAWN NEWS quoted Sharif as saying that Musharraf accepted dictation by foreign forces and Pakistan's sovereignty was at stake.
Speaking of the restoration of the judges sacked on November 3 last year when President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in the country, Sharif said PML-N had sacrificed 15 ministers for the cause of judiciary.
"I have told Zardari PML-N to quit coalition if judges are not restored," Sharif said.
Sharif has been holding talks with Zardari on the constitutional package prepared by the PPP on some important issues confronting the nation including clipping powers of the President and restoration of judges.
The PPP unveiled some salient features of the package according to which, all the powers of the President will be transferred to the Prime Minister. The PPP also intends to restore the judges on the basis that the tenure of Chief Justice will be limited to three years.
The PML-N strongly opposed the package and Sharif started to discuss the package with Zardari on Tuesday.
The PPP and PML-N emerged as the two largest parties in National Assembly in the general elections held on February 18. The two parties agreed on March 9 to form a coalition government on condition that the deposed judges would be restored within 30 days since the formation of the government.
However, the PPP failed to restore the judges before April 30 and nine ministers from PML-N tendered resignation and withdrew from the cabinet on May 13.
Presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi Wednesday rejected the rumors that Musharraf had offered to resign in return for indemnity of the actions taken after November 3 last year.
The PML-N has been pushing hard for the restoration of judges and also to oust Musharraf, alleging that the people of Pakistan have given their verdict in the February 18 elections.
(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)
