Zardari relents on eve of lawyers’ rally in Islamabad

The office of Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari announced a package of concessions to main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif on Saturday, following a two-week political stand-off. The decisions were taken during a meeting between prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Zardari late on Saturday.

The government would file an appeal to the Supreme Court against a ruling on February 25 that disqualified Sharif and his brother Shahbaz from contesting elections and holding public office.

The president and prime minister also agreed that a dispute over the restoration of judges sacked under emergency rule in 2007 “would be resolved in accordance with the principles laid down in the charter of democracy”.

That document, signed by Zardari’s widow, assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and Sharif in 2006, pledged to restore democracy, and abolish the role of the military in politics.

Sharif had earlier turned down the government’s plea to call off the lawyers’ long march to Islamabad. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton then spoke to both Sharif and Zaredari.