LAHORE, June 8: No one can work with President Pervez Musharraf because he is an unconstitutional head of state, according to PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, who became the Chief Minister of Punjab for a second time in eight years.

Addressing a press conference after taking oath of office on Sunday, he said the provincial government’s relations with the president and the federal government should be good. “But this does not mean covering up unconstitutional steps.”

Earlier, he addressed the Punjab Assembly and secured 265 votes in the 342-seat house during the ascertainment process.

At the press conference, he said he would discuss with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari issues relating to reinstatement of the judges. Resolving the issue will allow lawyers to call off their protest. “I will try that we again sit together to seek a solution.”

Mr Sharif said reconciling with the president did not mean violating the Constitution. “Relations must conform to principles laid down in the Constitution. There is a need to protect the Constitution and larger national interests.” When he was asked if the PML-N would give the president a safe exit, he said he did not know what was meant by safe exit. “We don’t have any personal grudge against him,” he said, adding that he had once been his friend.

He said that by allowing army generals who imposed martial laws go scot-free, a dangerous precedent had been established.

“When Ayub Khan was allowed to go away without being punished, Yahya Khan took over and broke the country. Similarly, Ziaul Haq’s martial law paved the way for Gen Mushrraf to dismiss an elected government after conducting the Kargil operation in secret.” When his comments were sought on President Musharraf’s statement that he was willing to hold talks with Nawaz Sharif, he said it was possible only after he stepped down as president.

“Thank God he is now talking about talking to us and not about kicking (us). Nawaz Sharif had made it clear during the elections that talks with Musharraf could only be held if he organised fair and free polls, reinstated the deposed judges and left his office,” he said.

Mr Sharif said it was unfortunate that he did not remember his government’s eight-year misrule and criticised the performance of the present government which had been formed only a few months ago.

Criticising the previous government, he said it had made false proclamation of prosperity. He said if what it had said was true the country should not be experiencing long spells of loadshedding because of power shortage.

Supporting the construction of Kalabagh and other dams with consensus, he said President Musharraf had used the issue for political gains. “He should have started the dams’ construction when Pakistan got funds after 9/11,” he said.

If the Musharraf government had started work on Bhasha dam, the project would have been completed by now, giving the country an additional 2,500MW of power. “Instead, the country is facing an acute shortage of water and power.”

LAWYERS’ MOVEMENT: When asked about his participation in the lawyers’ long march, he said the PML-N was committed to their cause because restoration of the judiciary and its independence was a national need. “We cannot implement the Murree Declaration that is why we are fully supporting the lawyers and the civil society for reinstatement of the judges,” he said.