LAHORE, Nov 8: PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Friday rejected the proposed national government, declaring that any such step would be extra-constitutional.

Talking to newsmen after the proceedings of a NAB reference against him on the premises of an accountability court, Mr Hashmi said no concept of consensus government existed in the constitution. Even the political leaders supporting this idea did not know anything about the mechanics of such a government, he added. The idea was only meant to mislead the people, he was of the view.

According to him, a consensus government could be formed only in extraordinary conditions and for a specific purpose. There was no need for it in the present circumstances, he maintained.

He cautioned that formation of a national government would require fresh elections within six months and necessitate the end of Musharraf’s presidency.

Mr Hashmi alleged that the government had deferred the inaugural session of the national assembly fearing that the political factions patronized by it would not be able to form government. The delay would lead to large-scale horse-trading, he claimed.

He said the government had put the issue of Senate meeting on the back burner, which could prove harmful for the country since Senate represented the federation. He said his party had contested the elections in protest, but the public still responded to its call. He asserted that the party would not succumb to any political tactics and would prefer to sit in the opposition instead of compromizing on principles.

He claimed he was the last politician to be arrested by the NAB in the past one year, which was a distinction for PML-N and would imply that every politician except him was clean.

Earlier, the NAB produced him before the accountability court one day ahead of the schedule. The NAB counsel argued that the accused had been produced a day earlier since Saturday was a gazetted holiday.

The judge put off the proceedings till Monday without recording any progress. Some 11 prosecution witnesses have been produced against the accused so far.