Lahore: Pakistan's main opposition leader
Nawaz Sharif today called for reforming the incumbent PPP-led
government instead of seeking unconstitutional solutions to
problems confronting the country and the people.
"The focus should be on reforming the government.
Otherwise, we should talk of a change but only through
constitutional means, instead of calling for martial law,"
said former premier and PML-N chief Sharif.
He made the remarks during an interaction with
writers, poets and artistes at his residence at Raiwind.
While opposing any unconstitutional move against the
Pakistan People's Party-led government at the centre, he
called on the people to unite on a "Charter of Pakistan".
Sharif's remarks came amidst a debate in political
circles on the performance of the PPP following Muttahida
Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain's call for army generals to
take "martial law-like" action against corrupt politicians and
feudal lords.
The PML-N chief urged television anchorpersons not to
discuss martial law as a solution to the ills confronting the
country as they did not know its repercussions.
He argued that the failures of the current political
dispensation must not be taken as the failures of democracy.
Sharif said he believed in a soft revolution as the
plight of the masses cannot be tackled without such a
phenomenon.
He suggested that all institutions and civil society
groups should hold a joint session to frame a 25-year agenda
that could be termed the "Charter of Pakistan".
"The session should go on till an agenda is framed for
the next 25 years, encompassing all the problems facing the
country," he said.
No one should deviate from or sabotage the Charter and
the party that gets the public mandate in the upcoming polls
should be allowed to rule for five years, he said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, September 17, 2010, 00:27