Message of reconciliation: Asma urges Nawaz to end political deadlock

PPP is ready to negotiate with the PML-N over early elections, sources claim.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) made its first move to reconcile with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday through a message conveyed by renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir.

The message was simple: the PPP is ready to negotiate with the PML-N over early elections, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

According to an official handout, Asma was accompanied by a delegation of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) who met the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.

Asma advised Sharif to end the political deadlock with the government and cease demands on the issue of the prime minister’s conviction. She said that the continued rift between the government and the opposition would encourage the anti-state forces to exploit the situation.

Furthermore, she informed Nawaz that the lawyers’ community was in favour of early elections as well and urged him to move dialogue forward to ensure free and fair elections. Nawaz replied to Asma’s request, saying that early elections were the solution to the current political crisis, adding that she (Asma) should support the PML-N’s stance in the appointment of an independent chief election commissioner.

According to sources, Asma had been sent to Nawaz on the request of President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari to convey the message of reconciliation.

The PPP wants Nawaz to play an integral role in abridging the gap between PPP-led coalition government and the Supreme Court, sources added. Nawaz would be asked to help calm the judiciary and the lawyers’ community and discuss early elections with them.  The delegation invited Nawaz to attend Supreme Court Bar Association  National Conference in Islamabad. Nawaz accepted the invitation to address the conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.