August 19, 2008	Tuesday	Sha’aban 16, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 18: Opposition leader in National Assembly Pervaiz Elahi says by tendering his resignation Pervez Musharraf has turned out to be a true and sincere Pakistani.

“Had President Musharraf not resigned there would have been risks of a severe conflict among parliament, judiciary and army,” he said in an interview with a private TV channel here on Monday.

He said the ruling coalition should immediately reinstate all the deposed judges for there was now no hurdle in the restoration of the pre-emergency judiciary.

Referring to the ruling coalition’s allegations against Musharraf’s policies, he said now the government should cut down prices of power, petrol, flour, lentils, ghee and other kitchen items.

Replying to a question about the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), he said Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had instituted cases against each other during their respective stints in power while Musharraf issued the NRO to improve the situation and withdrew all the cases paving way for the return of both the exiled leaders.

The opposition leader, who is also former Punjab chief minister, said the former president fulfilled his promise of holding fair and free elections and handed over power to the winners.

After Musharraf, he said, the main test of the ruling coalition would be putting forward a joint presidential candidate.

Seeing no unified Muslim League, he said his party, the PML, had popular vote more than the PML-N and enjoyed representation in all the four provinces while the latter was confined to Punjab.