MANSEHRA, May 22: Chairman Tehrik-i-Insaf (TI) Imran Khan has termed PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and President Musharraf two sides of the same coin and said that both leaders would never restore the sacked judges willingly until they were forced by the masses.

He expressed these remarks while speaking at the District Bar Association here on Thursday. President of the bar, Hafiz Naseem Ahmad, also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Khan said that President Musharraf promulgated the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to create amicable environment and way forward for the PPP to come into power and now Mr Zardari would bring the Constitutional package to indemnify the president against imposition of state of emergency in the country to legalise his ‘unlawful and unconstitutional’ orders.

“We will never allow Musharraf and Zardari to play with the fate of the country,” he said, adding that until the pre-November 3 judiciary was not restored, Pakistan’s existence and sovereignty was at stake.

The TI chairman extended an offer to Mr Zardari and said: “We will give you indemnity against the illegally and unconstitutionally promulgated NRO, if you restore the judiciary.” He said people would never accept the NRO if the sacked chief justice was not restored.