LAHORE, Jan 11: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has suggested early general elections to steer the country out of a situation in which a clash among state institutions appears to be imminent.

In a prepared statement read out in front of mediapersons outside his Raiwind residence on Wednesday, Mr Sharif cautioned all quarters concerned against any misadventure and said that “continuation of constitutional and democratic process is in the best national interest”.

He said that contacts were being made to persuade all opposition forces to agree on a two-point agenda: forcing the government to hold immediate elections and resisting any unconstitutional action.

He declined to answer journalists’ questions.

A PML-N leader told Dawn that the meeting had decided not to compromise on democratic process. He said the meeting wanted assemblies to be dissolved before Senate polls to render the electoral college for the upper house incomplete for barring the PPP from becoming the largest party in the house on the basis of its present parliamentary strength.

The meeting discussed the situation arising out of the order issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday and suggestions of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for an interim set-up and an Election Commission acceptable to all political parties.“…All political forces should demonstrate political prudence and wisdom and (general) elections should be held at the earliest,” Mr Sharif said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should avoid playing any more with the destiny of the country.

He warned that the country could ill-afford any new adventurism and that his party would not allow any new ‘making and breaking’.

He said his party would resist any new game of the government in the National Assembly session amid reports resolutions reposing trust in President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani and pledging to protect supremacy of parliament over all other state organs might be tabled in the National Assembly.

The PML-N chief, however, cautioned that continuation of the constitutional and democratic process was in the best interest of the country and the nation and said that the country could not afford confrontation among state organs.

He said restraint should be observed at all levels, but stressed that judicial verdicts should be implemented.

He urged government’s allies to keep in view the delicacy of the situation and avoid reposing trust in a government which was putting the entire democratic system at stake ‘just to protect its corruption’.

“Reposing confidence in such a government will mean showing no-confidence in the judiciary, Constitution, law, democratic process and 180 million people.”

The PML-N has already contacted JUI-F, Jamaat-i-Islami, PPP-Sherpao and Baloch nationalist leader Hasil Bizenjo and it is also contacting Sindhi nationalist groups.

The JI, on behalf of the PML-N, approached the Tehrik-i-Insaaf which declined to give an immediate nod saying a decision would be taken by its Central Executive Committee at its meeting on Thursday.

JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch told Dawn that all constituents of the now defunct All-Party Democratic Movement (APDM) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) were being contacted and he was confident that former colleagues could be assembled again on minimum
common points of immediate polls and opposition to any unconstitutional move.

The PML-N’s Central Working Committee and parliamentary party will meet in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the situation.