LONDON, Aug 23: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed his willingness to consider any official initiative for a ‘grand national reconciliation’, if President Pervez Musharraf were to make it clear that there is no condition from his side and that he is not a candidate for any post.

“He should allow a level playing field and invite everybody to come back home to sit across the table and resolve all matters among themselves,” said the PML-N leader while answering questions at an impromptu press conference here on Thursday soon after the Supreme Court in Islamabad had ruled that he could return home.

“I think these political parties have the ability to take decisions by themselves, have the ability to carve out the future course of things; we don’t have to depend on any military dictator to show us the way,” added Mr Sharif when asked for his response to reports that the government had decided to approach all political parties for achieving a grand national reconciliation.

An unusually restrained but visibly happy Nawaz Sharif, who was accompanied by his brother Shahbaz Sharif at the press conference, promised to go home soon and lead his party in the forthcoming general elections, but refused to give a firm date for his return.

“We will be holding our CWC meeting soon on the issue and then we will also consult our colleagues in the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) on questions of when to return and which entry-port to use,” he said.

He avoided a direct answer when asked if he would be a candidate in the forthcoming election, but said he would go back home and lead his party’s election campaign.

Answering another question he said all the hurdles in the way of restoring the ‘original’ 1973 Constitution as it stood on October 12 1999 including the 17th amendment and the restriction on becoming prime minister for the third time would simply vanish in the days to come.

When asked about Benazir Bhutto’s ongoing talks with President Musharraf, he said under the Charter of Democracy the signatories were obliged not tot negotiate with army generals. “If she has undertaken such negotiations it is against the spirit of the Charter and against the principles on which this Charter was based.”

When asked if he still planned to go home as he had desired earlier along with Benazir Bhutto, he said he would like to consult the party and the APDM on the matter.

When asked about the apprehensions that he would be arrested on landing in Pakistan, he said there were no charges against him of either corruption, kickbacks or commission, “but they could fabricate cases against me, Musharraf is expert in fabricating cases against innocent people and pardoning proven criminals if they shook hands with him.”

He added: “I will face anything that he does against me. I’m not scared of that.”

“A dictator does not give in easily,” he said when asked how much of a setback was the Supreme Court ruling for Musharraf, “but I think it is the beginning of the end of Musharraf.”

He said it was possible to get rid of the army’s undue influence in the socio-political and economic life of Pakistan with the help of the people. “We are prepared to struggle for this with the support of the masses if there is any resistance to efforts to the effect.”

He said democracy had won and dictatorship had lost. “It is a victory of democratic principles, the rule of law and the constitution.”

Answering a question he said Gen Musharraf was not eligible to contest for the president’s office, with or without uniform, “because there is no place for a dictator in democracy”.

When asked if like Benazir Bhutto he would also like to share power with Musharraf under an interim arrangement, he said dictatorship and democracy were two opposite things. “How can democrats share power with dictators?”

Asked if he would welcome those Muslim Leaguers back who are now with Gen Musharraf if they admitted that they were wrong, he said a turncoat would always be a turncoat and “personally I don’t like turncoats, but we will discuss this matter as well within the party and with our APDM colleagues.”

About his policy with regard to taking on board all moderates, he said his was a progressive party and had won elections twice in the past with a two-thirds majority.

Asked that after winning such a big victory how would he respond if the Americans were to start wooing him as they were doing Benazir Bhutto, he said everyone knew the principles on which his political philosophy was based. “We have not changed these principles, they know it and when they talk to us they would do it with the full knowledge about what we stand for.”

In his opening remarks he said ‘our’ stand had been vindicated today.