LAHORE, March 21: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday he had brought a message of reconciliation and goodwill for Nawaz Sharif.

Talking to reporters at the Lahore airport here on Saturday evening, Mr Gilani said the PPP wanted to bring about reconciliation in order to strengthen democracy.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N said it had no objection to a coalition government with the Pakistan People’s Party in Punjab if the matter was raised during a meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif to be held on Sunday at the latter’s residence in Lahore.

In a related development, a majority of PPP’s provincial legislators also favoured siding with the PML-N at a meeting in Lahore on Saturday. It was presided over by former senior minister Raja Riaz.

“After the restoration of deposed judges, our confidence in the prime minister has improved immensely and we don’t see any problem if he wants the PML-N to again join hands with his party in Punjab,” PML-N leader and former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah told Dawn.

Praising Mr Gilani, Mr Sanaullah said there was a “positive feeling” in the PML-N ranks for the prime minister.

Moreover, he added, the party had no differences with the PPP either which was very comfortable with the PML-N as a junior partner in the province before the imposition of the governor’s rule.

Rana Sanaullah said the prime minister had a reconciliatory approach and his role during the crisis remained highly appreciable. “We see Governor Salman Taseer as an irritant ... Mr Taseer is still taking a different line and the PML-N knows it is not the PPP’s line,” he said.

On the other hand, Raja Riaz also confirmed that the reconciliation process between the two parties could once again kick off after the Gilani-Nawaz meeting at Raiwind. He, however, clarified that the prime minister was meeting Mr Sharif with the consent of President Asif Zardari.

To a question whether Mr Gilani would convey president’s message to Mr Sharif regarding reconciliation, Raja Riaz said there was a possibility.

He said that the PPP supported the Shujaat formula of three-party government in Punjab. The PML-N had, however, rejected the idea, saying that it would not work in the absence of opposition. “This is also against the spirit of democracy,” Rana Sanaullah reacted.

Over 100 PPP lawmakers attended the Saturday meeting. According to some legislators, most of them wanted restoration of the previous set-up while others stressed for joining hands with the PML-Q.

Those against the idea of forming an alliance with PML-N believe that after breakdown of relations with the PML-N there was no point in sitting with them on treasury benches. Others said it would be unwise to explore the possibility of forming an alliance in the presence of a ‘bloated’ PML-Q forward bloc. The PML-N could pose problems if there was no alliance with the PPP.
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