ISLAMABAD, May 1: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan rejected on Tuesday PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s offer of political cooperation until the party resigned from assemblies and the Punjab government “restored its credibility”.

“First quit the Punjab government and resign from assemblies to regain our confidence which you (Mr Sharif) have lost because of backing off thrice from the boycott pledge in 2008 elections and then contesting polls,” Imran Khan said while briefing newsmen at the party secretariat here after presiding over a meeting of the PTI’s central working committee.

Earlier, according to sources, the PTI CWC meeting discussed Mr Nawaz Sharif’s Monday remarks of contacting leaders of all opposition parties, including PTI chief Imran Khan, to launch a movement to force Prime Minister Gilani to resign after his conviction by the Supreme Court. The PTI leaders were of the view that PML-N lawmakers should first resign from seats of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies to show their seriousness and to restore the credibility of the PML-N which it lost by contesting elections.

The party leaders said that the N-League was no more a reliable party as it had betrayed the PTI and other political parties on several occasions in the past and most recently, it backed off over the Memo scandal.

Mr Khan announced holding of a ‘Solidarity with Supreme Court March’ in Islamabad on Sunday, calling it a prelude to the ‘tsunami march’ which, he claimed, would be the country’s largest protest against Mr Gilani if the latter refused to “accept his disqualification”.

The PTI President, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vice president Hamid Khan and Information Secretary Shafqat Mahmood also attended the meeting.

“We will wait until the Election Commission completes the process of Mr Gilani’s disqualification,” said Mr Khan, adding that his party no more recognised Mr Gilani as the prime minister.

The PTI has also decided to file a reference with the Supreme Court against Mr Gilani, the sources said.

They said that the PTI would also seek an opinion from the SC whether Mr Gilani could remain prime minister after his conviction.

Mr Khan announced formation of a three-member committee consisting of Javed Hashmi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Arif Alvi to hold talks with leaders of political parties, except those in the government, regarding the future course of action over the issue.

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