Pak political crisis: Zardari dismisses need for Sharif`s resignation, says govt

The Pakistani government said former president Asif Ali Zardari has denied any need for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign over the demand by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

Lahore/Islamabad: The Pakistani government said on Saturday former president Asif Ali Zardari has denied any need for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign over the demand by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

Following a meet between Sharif and Zardari over the prevailing political crisis, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar quoted Zardari, the co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as saying that "there was no question of Prime Minister Sharif’s resignation", Geo News reported. He said the PPP expressed commitment to supremacy of law, Constitution, and continued support to the democratic system. Both the sides stressed on "the need to find a solution of the present political crisis within the purview of law and constitution", Dar said and thanked the PPP for its support. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Zardari made it clear that the prime minister’s resignation would weaken state institutions. Meanwhile, Federal Minister Abdul Qadri Baloch said dialogue with the PTI was progressing and it was now up to the PTI leadership to agree. Sharif and Zardari met in Lahore earlier in the the day to discuss the ongoing political stalemate induced by the protests by Imran Khan`s PTI and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri`s PAT in Islamabad. Zardari, who was invited by Sharif, was accompanied by senior PPP leaders Raza Rabbani, Aitzaz Ahsan and Khurshid Shah, who is also the opposition leader in the National Assembly.