HYDERABAD, Dec 29: Former premier and chief of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has through a letter sought the cooperation of nationalist leader Dr. Qadir Magsi in forging a joint struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country.A PML (N) delegation led by the party’s central additional secretary information Sardar Rahim on Friday called on Sindh Taraqi Passand Party (STP) Chairman Dr. Magsi and delivered him a letter from Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.

Mr. Rahim told reporters after the meeting that Mian Sharif had appealed to all the democratic forces of the country to launch a joint struggle for the restoration of true democracy and had sent a message through the letter that unless true democracy was restored supremacy of constitution and parliament could not be ensured and the independence of judiciary could not be guaranteed.

The PML chief had demanded in the letter appointment of a caretaker government and general elections under an independent and autonomous commission, he said.

He expressed the hope that meeting with Dr. Magsi would prove fruitful, the STP would endorse the Charter of Democracy and take active part in the joint struggle for the restoration of democracy.

Asked whether his party would boycott the elections under Musharraf, he said that the present set-up was illegal and unconstitutional and there was no hope of fair elections as long as Musharraf was in power.

At present saving the country and restoring democracy were more important than elections, he said adding that a decision in this regard would be taken at a proper time.

To a question about Kalabagh dam and the sale of Sindh’s islands, he said that his party was of the view that if Kalabagh dam was unacceptable to Sindh then it should not be constructed because Pakistan was more important than the dam.

He said that his party was strongly against the islands’ sale. The rulers not only wanted to sell off the islands but they wanted to dispose of the whole of Pakistan, he said.

Dr. Magsi said that the Mr. Sharif’s letter would be placed before the party’s central committee and believed that the movement for the restoration of democracy would strengthen the nationalist movement.

He welcomed the closing gulf between federalist and nationalist parties, which used to be diametrically opposed to each other in past and said that visible change was being witnessed in the thinking of former rivals.

He said that the rights of people and provinces could not be achieved without the restoration of democracy and expressed the hope that Ms Benazir Bhutto would not strike any deal with the dictators.

Afzal Gujjar, Arshad Ali (PML) and Nandlal Malhi, Hyder Shahani and Muzaffar Kalhoro (STP) were also present on the occasion.