Special report: Pakistani Situation

Asif Ali Zardari (R), widower of slain Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and leader of the Pakistan People's Party, shakes hands with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during a joint news conference in Bhurban near Islamabad March 9, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (L) and Asif Ali Zardari (R), widower of the slain opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, speak during a joint news conference in Bhurban near Islamabad March 9, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    ISLAMABAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani's two leading political leaders said Sunday that they had agreed to form a coalition government with the prime minister from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

    "We undertake to form a coalition together for Pakistan, as the people of Pakistan had given mandate to the democratic forces on February 18," said Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) at the news conference after his meeting with PPPCo-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at the scenic town of Murree in eastern Pakistan.

    "We have fruitful meeting today, we are at the verge of making history, it was the desire of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto," Zardari, former PM Benazir Bhutto's widower, told a joint news conference with Sharif.

    In a joint declaration at the end of their talks, Sharif and Zardari agreed to reappoint the Supreme Court justices, especially Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who were ousted by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Nov. 3, 2007 when he imposed the state of emergency.

    They agreed that the deposed judges would be restored through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days, according to the joint declaration.

    Parliamentary elections took place on Feb. 18 this year, and according to the Election Commission results, the PPP has secured 120 seats for the 342-seat National Assembly, the PML-N has 90 and the PML-Q, which backs Musharraf, has 51.

    The Awami National Party, a nationalist secular party mostly centered in the North-West Frontier Province, which has also announced to join the coalition, has bagged 13 National Assembly seats.

    Independent victors and smaller groups are expected to join the coalition which will enable the coalition to gain the two-thirds majority in parliament needed to impeach Musharraf and to amend the constitution.

Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (front) listens as Asif Ali Zardari, widower of the slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and leader of the Pakistan People's Party speaks during a meeting of MPs from a coalition of the winners from the Feb. 18 parliamentary polls in Islamabad Feb. 27, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Pakistan's former PM Sharif urges to convene parliament

    ISLAMABAD, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister and top leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday urged the authorities to convene a National Assembly (NA) session.

    Addressing a news conference here after a joint meeting held by Pakistan People's Party (PPP), PML-N and Awami National Party (ANP),Sharif said that the NA session must be convened without any delay. Full story

Former Pakistani PM demands transfer of power to new gov't

    ISLAMABAD, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday demanded transfer of power to the new government to be formed by majority parties.

    Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, Sharif called for convening the National Assembly session to elect the prime minister. He also demanded resignation of President Pervez Musharraf. Full story

PPP urges Pakistani gov't to convene NA session

    ISLAMABAD, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) who emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly in the general elections on Sunday urged the government to convene a session of the new National Assembly and to invite it to form the administration.

    The PPP leaders said the government had not yet invited the party to form government despite its victory in the Feb. 18 parliamentary polls. The matter was also discussed during PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari's meeting with newly elected lawmakers from Balochistan province here on Sunday. Full story