April 13, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, April 12: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML- N) on Thursday briefed foreign diplomats on the ongoing judicial crisis and the party’s reservations on general elections in the country under the present regime.

PML-N secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and coordinator of the party’s Foreign Liaison Committee Mohammad Mehdi held separate meetings with diplomats from Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and a member of German Parliament and apprised them about the party’s point of view on the present judicial crisis being faced by the country after suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

According to Mr Mehdi, the PML-N leaders met acting ambassador of Italy Simone Desanti, UK Political Counsellor Thomas Drew, First Secretary (UK) James Revell, US Political Officer Rachaelt Doherty and visiting member of the German Parliament and a member of the parliamentary defence committee Elke Hoff.

The PML-N leaders told the diplomats that the party was not supporting an individual judge, but fighting for the independence of judiciary and rule of law.

PML-N leaders said that they were supporting the lawyers’ movement believing that it was their last attempt to save the institution of judiciary from collapsing.

They informed the diplomats that the party had decided to hold a strong protest demonstration on Friday when the chief justice would be appearing before the Supreme Judicial Council.

PML-N leaders also told the diplomats that free and fair elections were not possible in the country in the presence of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

They also called for the return of the exiled leadership to the country before elections. “How can elections be free and fair without the participation of two former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto?” they asked.