April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

LAHORE, April 12: PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif may not contest by-polls to replace Dost Muhammad Khosa as Punjab chief minister if deposed judges are not restored due to any reason, claim party officials.

Mr Sharif will then restrain himself to looking after party affairs and its re-organization, they add.

They say a decision to the effect has been taken by party patron Mian Nawaz Sharif and he has started conveying it to other party leaders.

The officials say that Nawaz Shairf is having a final meeting with PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari on judges' issue next week.

The party, they say, may not insist on restoring the pre-emergency judiciary by April 31 and may be ready to extend the deadline up to May 15 but it will not give in to any pressure for showing flexibility more than this on the issue.

According to them, the PML-N ministers in the federal government will resign as a mark of protest against non-implementation of the Murree Declaration both the PML-N and PPP signed only last month promising the nation to restore the judges within 30 days of the completion of the parliament.

Asked if the party will be ready to sacrifice its government in Punjab for the same cause, they say efforts will be made to continue running it but not at the cost of denting the party's stance on the issue.

“No out-of-the-way effort will be made for the life of the Punjab government," said a party official.

Khosa took oath as Punjab chief minister on Saturday after securing 263 out of 353 votes in the Punjab Assembly.

Meanwhile, a decision has also been taken to re-organize the party in three provinces - Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP - where it failed to show performance in the Feb 18 polls.

Sources say that party's leadership in the three provinces will be replaced to give chance to other pro-active workers.