LAHORE, Feb 20: Jamaat-i-Islami amir Qazi Husain Ahmad has advised the leadership of both the PML-N and the PPP to work together to ensure supremacy of the Constitution and parliament, restore the deposed judges of superior courts and oust Pervez Musharraf from presidency.

The piece of advice, says a press release, was given to PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari when he phoned the Qazi here on Wednesday to discuss the prevailing political situation.

The Qazi said the people by giving their mandate to the two opposition parties had put a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the winners and he hoped that their leadership would come up to the expectations of the masses.

He said the Jamaat, as part of the All Parties Democratic Movement, had boycotted the polls on the issue of Nov 3, 2007 “unconstitutional” emergency and wanted its complete reversal. He also emphasised that the APDM wanted unconditional restoration of all the judges sacked by Gen Musharraf.

The Qazi said true democracy would be restored only when all state institutions were allowed to function according to the Constitution.

He offered the APDM’s support to the new government provided it accepted the alliance’s demands about the Constitution and the judiciary.

The release said the Jamaat amir later called PML-N patron Mian Nawaz Sharif and lauded his consistency on the judges issue and his all-out support in this behalf. The Qazi reiterated that if the PPP and the PML-N collaborated effectively on the issues of the constitution, parliament, judiciary and ouster of President Musharraf, it would be a historic measure representing the ‘will of the public’.