N wants army, judiciary in APC

LAHORE In a clear flight from the spirit of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and the general stance of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday shocked political pundits by proposing an All Parties Conference (APC) of politicians, the judiciary and the army to outline a joint national strategy on vital issues. The political leadership, both in and outside the parliament, including the judiciary and the military, should sit together and evolve a collective strategy to resolve the problems facing the country, and there is a dire need to adopt a national thinking and shun the politics of point-scoring in the common national interest, said the CM in his talk to the media after launching a three-day polio campaign at his Model Town residence. Since MQM Chief Altafs statement calling the support of 'patriotic army generals for a popular revolution, this is for the first time that a leading political figure has considered the army and the judiciary as stakeholders in future politics. Shahbaz Sharif said that he floated the suggestion (of calling such an APC) to PM Gilani on directions from PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. He said he talked to the PM at length. I have contacted the premier on the orders of Nawaz Sharif and made the suggestion to steer the country out of the crises, he stated. Political pundits believe that the suggestion also aims at easing the ongoing tension between the ruling PPP and the PML-N against the backdrop of PPP ministers sacking from the Punjab cabinet. Gilani, on his part, said he would comment after going through the full content of Shahbaz Sharifs statement. Nevertheless, in his television talk late at night, Shahbaz insisted he had talked to Gilani and urged him to call a conference for finding a solution to the problems confronting Pakistan. Shahbaz said he did so three days ago. He further said that he had neither talked to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry nor to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. I am ready to go to everyone for salvaging Pakistan when external forces are bent upon turning Pakistan into a failed state, he enthused. The CM said the country is passing through a critical phase and facing internal and external challenges. The need of unity, solidarity and national harmony in the current situation is more than ever before. Collective efforts are needed to resolve the problems, he said. To a question about gas loadshedding in the province, the CM said a new committee comprising industrialists and traders has been constituted, and it would contact the federal government soon. He said industrialists, traders and workers of Faisalabad had announced launching a long march to Islamabad on March 5, but on his request they decided to postpone it to provide another chance to the federal government.