LAHORE, July 2: Exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday ruled out a deal with Gen Pervez Musharraf and others responsible for dividing the PML, saying such a step would be tantamount to negating the sacrifices he and his party men had rendered over the past six years. There would be no compromise on principles nor departure from the course the party had adopted to ensure the supremacy of the parliament, restoration of the 1973 Constitution and independence of the judiciary, said the PML-N head in a telephonic address from Jeddah to his party’s new district office-bearers from across the province.

The office-bearers, appointed with the prime objective of strengthening the party at all tiers and ensuring good performance in the local elections, had been invited to a meeting at a local hotel, where they were given notifications with respect to their future responsibilities.

Party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, provincial president Sirdar Zulfikar Khosa, Tehmina Daultana, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Siddiqul Farooq and Zaeem Qadri were also present.

Party leaders told reporters Mr Sharif had denied the reports in a section of the press that a deal between Gen Musharraf and the former prime minister was being brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

The reports said that Gen Musharraf had persuaded the Saudi crown prince to play a role in the PML’s unification by involving Mr Sharif. According to these reports the general had paid a sudden visit to the kingdom after getting positive vibes from the Saudi leader in this connection. It was also reported that the Saudi leader had secured assurances from Gen Musharraf for an honourable return of Mr Sharif and his family to Pakistan once the deal was put in place.

“I miss my country a lot, but I’ll never compromise my principles”, said Mr Sharif amid applause by all those in the hall.

He said that he was not rigid in his approach, but at the same time he was not willing to say goodbye to his ideology. “I am prepared to face more ordeal, more hardship, but I am not ready to make an agreement against my ideology”.

The PML leader said time was fast approaching when Gen Musharraf would be desperately looking for him and other party leaders to strike a deal, but his desire would never materialize. He said the circumstances were heading towards their logical conclusion and the days of the present rulers had been numbered.

Mr Sharif made it clear that power was not the target of his party. In fact, he said, the party was struggling for democracy.

Mr Sharif also sent a strong message to what he called turncoats and others who had seized the party offices after the overthrow of the PML government. “There’s no room for such people in the party. The decision is irrevocable, irreversible”.

He said accepting the ‘turncoats and traitors’ back in the party fold would amount to wasting all sacrifices the party had made to uproot opportunism.

Referring to the local government elections, Mr Sharif said the party should put up its candidates on all seats and, where necessary, make adjustments with opposition parties. He said no adjustment with the ruling party should be made in any case.

He said a committee should be set up for every district to select party candidates for the elections and decide on adjustments.

Nawaz Sharif expressed dissatisfaction over the situation in the country, and said the much talked about foreign exchange reserves or other measures taken by the rulers had failed to bring relief to the common citizen.

He asked the party leaders and workers to set up protest camps at district level against the price hike in the country.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the PML-N president, in his brief address from London expressed the hope that Mr Sharif’s speech would help rejuvenate the party.

He said the time was not far away when the exiled Sharif family would return home.

PASSPORTS: Mr Sharif’s spokesman told reporters that the Sharif family had again approached Pakistan’s consulate in Jeddah for their passports. He said being Pakistani citizens it was their right to get the passports.