29 January 2005	Saturday	18 Zilhaj 1425

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NEW YORK, Jan 28: The leader of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Shahbaz Sharif on Friday called upon President Pervez Musharraf to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country at the earliest. This, Mr Sharif said, was a pre-requisite for the "long-term stability of the country."

In an informal conversation with Dawn, Mr Sharif, who has come to New York for a follow-up medical checkup after a life saving abdominal surgery two years ago here, said that the leaders of the two mainstream parties -Pakistan People's Party and PML (N) should be allowed to participate in the process.

Mr Sharif said that his elder brother Nawaz Sharif now in exile in Saudi Arabia, was holding talks with PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in order to adopt a joint strategy to restore genuine democracy in the country.

Mr Sharif who was circumspect in his comments on his return to Pakistan and eventual deportation to Saudi Arabia, last year, said: "I believe that new elections with the participation of mainstream parties will provide long-term stability in the country."

Mr Sharif also said that the results of his blood tests have been good with no indication of any recurrence of any disease, but he was still waiting for the results of the MRI scans from the New York hospital.