Pakistan's two main opposition parties have said they will form a coalition government if they emerge as the largest groups in the February 18 parliamentary polls.
LAHORE: Pakistan's two main opposition parties have said they will form a coalition government if they emerge as the largest groups in the February 18 parliamentary polls in order to prevent the military from usurping power from elected representatives.
PML-N chief and former premier Nawaz Sharif assured Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari that his party would provide the PPP support in forming a government without seeking a share in power. The assurance was made during an hour-long meeting late last night.
Sharif told Zardari that he would not seek any share in ministries for its support in forming a government. Sharif also said he had been supporting the PPP despite the reservations of some leaders of his party, sources in the PML-N and PPP told the 'Dawn' newspaper.
Addressing reporters along with Sharif, Zardari said the PPP would invite the PML-N and 'other democratic forces' to join a coalition even if the party won a majority.
"We will sit together because the country is passing through a dangerous phase, and we can only steer the country out of this crisis together," Zardari said.
The two leaders agreed that all political forces should be united to oppose dictatorship and save the country from what they called 'usurpers'. Sharif said all the problems confronting Pakistan were the creation of the men in uniform.
"We have to decide either to save the country or allow the generals to play their (political) role. We will have to decide now whether the generals will stay or Pakistan. We cannot lose Pakistan for the sake of the generals," he said.
Benazir Bhutto's widower Zardari and Sharif met a day after a survey by a US government-funded NGO predicted the opposition would score a landslide victory in the polls to the national and four provincial assemblies.
The two leaders said they were 'not joining hands for power but to save the country'. Sharif, who hosted the meeting at his home, said the political, social and economic crises facing Pakistan had reached the point where 'we all have to join hands and save the country from any further Deterioration'.
The two leaders discussed the forthcoming election and the law and order situation in the country. Sharif said, "We discussed the current situation and agreed to hold another meeting before the elections."
Replying to a question, Sharif said the PML-N and PPP have made adjustments on some seats and urged other political forces to unite for the security and safety of the country.
"If the government attempts to rig the polls on the election day, it will push the country towards crises and the nation will not forgive the rulers," Sharif said. Zardari said both the parties had decided to work jointly to foil the 'rigging plan' of the ruling PML-Q.
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