Dubai: Exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has invited Pakistan People's Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto to launch a combined struggle against emergency rule and restoring democracy in the country.
In a letter to Bhutto, a copy of which was obtained by Gulf News, Sharif outlined a four-point agenda for the All Parties Conference (APC) proposed by Bhutto.
The four point-agenda includes demands for the restoration of the Constitution as it stood on October 12, 1999 - the day Sharif's government was dissolved in a coup by President General Pervez Musharraf - an immediate withdrawal of the Provisional Constitution Order, lifting of the emergency, reinstatement of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and all other judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, complete freedom of the media and immediate release of those arrested after November 3 and free and fair elections organised by an independent, effective and impartial election commission.
"No credible elections are possible under the current handpicked judiciary and the subservient election commission," Sharif wrote in the letter, in which he addressed Bhutto as "Dear Benazir Sahiba".
But Sharif reiterated in the letter: "I sincerely believe that in order to achieve the aforesaid agenda, all the political forces should abandon all contacts with the establishment and the dictator."
Sharif called on all opposition parties to take a united stand against the "brutal actions" of Musharraf.
Success
He said that APC held by Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in London in July was a success and was another step towards supremacy of the constitution, restoration of democracy, independence of judiciary, freedom of the media and a complete and permanent end to the role of army and intelligence agencies in the country's politics.
Bhutto herself did not participate in Sharif's APC and since then the two leaders have parted ways. But now once again, they are trying to come together.
"You [Bhutto] have announced your plan to take out a long march from Lahore on November 13 in case Musharraf fails to fulfil his promises. As we are not aware of their nature we would appreciate if you could take us into confidence about the details of those promises," Sharif said.
