PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said that the time has come for a "final" parleys with the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) over the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf and restoration of judges deposed during last year's emergency.
Sharif said he planned to have a final word with the PPP leadership on why it could not act on the mandate given by the people in the February 18 general election.
Talking to journalists at the airport here after his arrival from London last night, Sharif said he wanted the mandate given by the people to be honoured.
The former Prime Minister said he would sound out the PPP's leadership about the unfulfilled promises made to the PML-N.
He said the people had voted the PPP and PML-N to power for impeaching Musharraf, ensuring his accountability, restoring the deposed judges, and for eliminating poverty, unemployment, power cuts and the price rise.
This mandate had not been translated into reality until now, he remarked.
Sharif, whose party pulled its ministers out of the PPP-led government in May after the PPP failed to meet two deadlines to reinstate the deposed judges, did not spell out what he intended to do if the upcoming talks with the PPP were unsuccessful.
The veteran leader said he was constantly in touch with all of the PML-N's allies and had written to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to ask about the reinstatement of the judges and impeachment of Musharraf.
As he had not received a reply from Zardari, Sahrif said he would call on the PPP chief after discussing the situation with the central executive committee of his party.
"We'll ask him why there is a delay in taking the promised steps and what are the reasons behind this delay," he said.
Sharif, who was in London for three weeks to be with his wife who was recuperating after surgery, said all important decisions should be taken in parliament, unlike in the past when one man was running all the affairs.
"Parliament represents the 160 million people of the country. It should be made the forum to devise policies instead of giving the right to one person like in the past," he said.
Asked about the August 14 deadline set by the lawyers' movement for reinstating the deposed judges, Sharif said the PML-N was with the lawyers.
He said the solidarity, security and survival of Pakistan is not possible without the restoration of the judges.
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