Islamabad, May 18: The brother of deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader, Shahbaz Sharif today said he would soon return home to lead his party while asking opposition parties agitating against President Pervez Musharraf's constitutional amendments to display some flexibility.
Shahbaz, currently convalescing after an operation in New York said, he has decided to return in June or July even if it violated the agreement his family had with Pakistan and
Saudi Arabian governments.
Under the agreement, Nawaz Sharif along with Shabaz were exiled to Jeddah. Shabaz was recently permitted to go to New York to undergo the operation.
Interestingly, Shabaz whose party, PML-N also opposed Musharraf's presidency and the constitutional amendments wanted the opposition parties, to work out an agreement with
the government to tide over the crisis.
"This is a transitional period. The transfer of power to the civilian government is still going on, and the political parties should show flexibility in reaching an agreement with treasury benches," he told a Pak daily from New York.
His comments follow speculation in the local media that hectic efforts were being made by officials here to secure the support of Sharifs and former Premier Benazir Bhutto to stave off the constitutional crisis.
With the Islamist alliance, Muthahid Majlis Amal (MMA) demanding that Musharraf quit as chief of army in order to get Parliament's endorsement for his presidency and constitutional reforms, the government was trying hard to reach an understanding with Sharif and Benazir.
Both Shahbaz and Bhutto reportedly insisted that their return as a quid pro quo arrangement besides the release of Benazir's spouse, Asif Ali Zardari from his six year prison sentence.
However, the PPP denied any talks with the government to strike a deal.
Bureau Report
