ISLAMABAD -
President Asif Ali Zardari and incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday agreed to forget the past bitterness and move forward, at their first one-on-one meeting following the PML-N win in the general elections.
Following their meeting at the Presidency, Nawaz to the media that his party would need broader cooperation of all the political parties in tackling the major challenges faced by the country. Nawaz said the policy of reconciliation initiated by late PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
“We will forget past bitterness and move forward to solve the problems being faced by the people and the country” and try to implement the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed with Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to jointly steer the country out of the crises.
He asserted the people had elected him to serve the nation and he would make all possible efforts to come up to their expectations. “We have to protect the interests of Pakistan with the support of the people,” he reiterated.
To a question why his party has not demanded resignation of President Zardari, as some other political parties are raising this demand, Nawaz remarked, “Why should we do so; Zardari is an elected President.” He said he would not demand resignation of the president. “We have Pakistan’s interest in mind not our own,” Nawaz said.
President Zardari said he considered Nawaz Sharif the incoming prime minister of Pakistan. In his brief chat with media, he said Nawaz would get full cooperation from Aiwan-e-Sadr as the prime minister. He also stressed that it was the time for all the political forces to work together for making Pakistan a prosperous and developed country.
The president appreciated Nawaz Sharif for his policy of reconciliation and hoped it would lead to address the problems of the country. When asked if the PPP would support Nawaz as the prime minister, President Zardari said he had nothing to do with politics and it was the job of PPPP President Amin Fahim to take any decision.
Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting took place after the luncheon banquet hosted for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang which was also attended by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif.
At their separate meeting held later, the president congratulated Nawaz on victory in elections and wished good luck to his upcoming government. The president said that the nation, all political parties and democratic forces of civil society deserve to be complimented for the peaceful democratic transition which, he said, was taking place for the first time in the history of the country.
Fazl calls on President
Chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazal ur Rehman called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday and discussed the overall situation in the country.
The meeting took place after the luncheon hosted for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Presidency to which Chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazl ur Rehman had also been invited among other political leaders.
Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President also congratulated Fazl on the victory of JUI-F in the general elections.