ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif said on Monday the PML-N would oppose the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in and outside parliament, indicating that it might also go for a long march to resist the “black law meant to indemnify corruption”. He said his party was keeping all options open, including moving the courts and mobilising people against the law.

'It can never become a law. Even if it is passed by parliament, it will be open to judicial scrutiny,' he said at a press conference after presiding over a meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party.

'Those who dub us as a friendly opposition forget that we had staged a long march to press the government to reinstate judges sacked by Musharraf,' he said.

Mr Sharif said the issue of the NRO had not figured during his recent meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.

He said he would advise the government not to bring the NRO bill in parliament because it would be a stigma on the supreme law-framing body.

'The government should not put democracy to any test.'

He said the ruling party did not have a majority in parliament, but the government might manoeuvre to get the NRO bill through.

Mr Sharif said he was not fighting for any 'personal agenda' and he had talked about politics of reconciliation even when he was disqualified by courts headed by Justice Dogar. 'But now, enough is enough on the NRO issue.'

Rejecting claims that the PML-N, under a deal with the government, would abstain from voting on the NRO, he said it would vote against the law.He said abstention would mean supporting the bill. 'There should be no grey area and everything should be in black and white on this important issue,' he said.

When asked about the possibility of an attempt for an in-house change, the PML-N chief said: 'Parliament is supreme'. He said decisions on such matters were taken after consulting the party leadership.

He said his party would never take any step that could derail the system.

Punjab Chief Minister Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif was also present at the press conference.