The joint parliamentary party meeting of the PML-N, the PPP and the ANP scheduled for Wednesday (today) in Islamabad is meant to inform Musharraf that the two-thirds majority (in the National Assembly) is sitting here and he should not delay convening the session, party patron Mian Nawaz Sharif said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
"It is not 2002 when the session was delayed for a couple of months to help (the PML-Q) do horse-trading for ensuring simple majority to elect Zafarullah Jamali as the prime minister."
Urging President Musharraf to resign after the masses voted against his allies, the former prime minister pledged not to indemnify Musharraf's step of imposing emergency on Nov 3 last year. "There is no question of granting indemnity to the illegal and unconstitutional action. There is neither any pressure nor am I ready to give in to the issue."
He said restoration of pre-emergency judiciary was his top-most priority and he would not show any flexibility on it.
Asked what would be the fate of the judges appointed in the superior courts after the emergency, he said it would be decided by the pre-emergency judiciary.
Answering a query, he said there was no difference between the PML-N and the PPP on restoration of judges. "A formulation in this respect has been made public after a meeting with Mr Zardari."
He told a questioner that as the PPP was the largest party in the National Assembly, they (the PML-N) were extending sincere support to it for forming the government and hoped that the same spirit would be shown in the formation of provincial governments too.
He called for joining hands by all democratic forces to defeat dictatorship in the country.
Answering a question, he said he was not ready to sit with the PML-Q leadership. "Against the earlier stance of sitting on opposition benches, they (the PML-Q) are now ready to talk (to the PPP and the PML-N). But there should be someone to talk to. We're not ready to hold parleys with them," he said, adding that the Q League had never been a party.
Expressing his gratitude for the confidence reposed by the masses in his party on Feb 18, the PML-N leader said they were determined to come up to the expectations of the voters. "We are now more determined to implement our manifesto with restoration of judges figuring on top of the agenda."