LAHORE - While sounding optimistic about resolution of judges' issue, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday implicitly conceded US role in country's internal affairs by expressing his inability to stop US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher from going to London to mediate between PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari over the issue in question. "I cannot stop Richard Boucher from going to London", said visibly perturbed Gilani at Mazaar-e-Iqbal on Sunday when a reporter asked him about Mr Boucher's meetings with the top leaders of country's two major political parties in London, while reminding him of his earlier stance that US could not interfere in Pakistan's affairs. Gillani was asked this question because he had maintained a day earlier in his interaction with the media that the US had no role in country's internal matters. "Mr Prime Minister you had said a day earlier that Pakistan was free to take its decisions independently and that there was no US pressure on present government over any issue; but today, US official Richard Boucher had meetings with Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari to pressurise them to come to some settlement. How would you now comment over the development?", was the question that proved so annoying for the prime minister that he left the podium at once, just saying that he was unable to stop Richard Boucher from going to London. He took no further questions from the journalists. Before this, he told journalists that he was optimistic about the outcome of London talks between the two leaders about judges' reinstatement. The PM said that modalities were being worked out and the legal experts were giving their input to resolve the issue. "We do not want to get entangled into another problem after fixing the initial one", he maintained, adding that both parties had the same goal and one should not doubt any party's intentions in this regard. He said both parties were having an issue-based dialogue and he was being informed of the progress on daily basis by the party leadership. He believed that Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif stood committed to the Charter of Democracy and won't ditch each other. Gilani reiterated PPP's stance that his party had rendered more sacrifices for restoration of democracy and independence of judiciary as compared to any other political party. "Many PPP leaders and workers including myself have undergone jail sentence for years for the cause of democracy," he affirmed. Replying to a question about convening of the National Assembly session for tabling the much talked about resolution for restoration of deposed judges, he said it would be summoned as soon as he received instructions from party leadership. He dismissed reports of his likely advice to the President for dissolution of National Assembly in case PML-N came out of the coalition government and termed them speculative. "The country cannot afford elections again and again", he observed. Replying to a question about solution of peoples' problems, the PM said his government was just 40-days old, but definitely he would try his utmost to give relief to the people, who he believed had given their mandate in February 18 elections for a change in the country. Earlier, the PM was received at Mazaar-e-Iqbal by Punjab Governor Lt-Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool, Punjab Chief Secretary Javed Mahmood, IGP Pervaiz Rathore, DG Rangers and DCO Lahore. Senior PPP leaders including Haji Aziz-ur-Reham Chan and Munir Ahmad Khan accompanied him. PM Gilani also visited Data Darbar before paying homage to poet of the east.