Special report: Pakistani Situation
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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)
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ISLAMABAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's political
stability is the top priority and a war between the presidency and the
newly-elected parliament would be catastrophic, said Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf in an interview with Washington Times published on Monday.
"I'm looking forward to working with this government
for the full five years," Musharraf told Washington Times in Rawalpindi city on
Wednesday.
Musharraf scoffed at speculation in the Pakistani
press that he would attempt to derail the results of Feb. 18 elections by using
his constitutional powers to dismiss parliament, or not call parliament into
session.
"You think someone who has spent his entire adult
life defending Pakistan and the past eight years trying to put democracy back on
track wants to see the government fail and the country return to political
anarchy? " he said, adding "No. I'm committed to making this work."
Musharraf has to seek political reconciliation for
political stability after Pakistan's two major parties, Pakistan People's Party
(PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), signed a joint declaration on
Sunday on the formation of new government.
The two parties, which emerged as the two largest
parliamentary parties in the Feb. 18 elections, agreed on reinstating the
deposed judges sacked by Musharraf last November through a parliamentary
resolution within 30 days of the formation of the federal government.
News Analysis: Agreement between
Pakistan's major parties casts shadow on premiership
ISLAMABAD, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Despite an agreement
between Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
on the formation of Pakistan's new government on Sunday, the Pakistani people
have become more doubtful as to who will become their new Prime Minister (PM).
After a three-hour meeting in Murree city, administered by
the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the PPP and PML-N agreed to form a coalition
government in the center and Punjab province. They also said that all allied
parties would fully support the PM candidate fielded by the PPP. Full story
Pakistan's major parties agree on coalition
gov't
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. Full
story
