LAHORE - With PML-N’s firm stance to review the policy of war against terror and end to military drive in Tribal Areas, an important meeting between US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday deliberated over the issue of on-going military drive in NWFP, future of President Musharraf, reinstatement of judges, threats to PPP-led coalition govt, continuity of democracy, Pak-US relations and other crucial issues of mutual interests.
During the meeting which lasted for over two and half hours, Sharifs stick to their guns and refused to support military drive in Tribal Areas, insiders informed and added, while US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher tried to persuade Sharif brothers to support US war against terror and provide President Musharraf a safe exit.
PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, President Shahbaz Sharif, Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Siddiqul Farooq, Tariq Khatmi and Saeed Mehdi welcomed visiting 5-member team including Richard Boucher accompanied by US Consulate Principal Officer in Lahore Bryan D Hunt at Raiwind, residence of Nawaz Sharif.
PML(N) leadership conveyed to the US diplomat ‘we will never support the on-going military drive at any cost. They said that party demanded the govt to resolve all issue through dialogue reviewing the ground realities in tribal areas’.
Regarding fate of Musharraf, they said that people rejected Musharraf and his policies on February 18th elections, so US should help strengthen the democratic govt denying support to President Musharraf to prove that it was with 160 million people instead of one man.
They also asked Richard Boucher to pressurise Musharraf to step down forthwith. Sharifs said that they were trying to convince PML-N coalition party PPP to impeach Musharraf.
After the conclusion of meeting, PML-N senior leader and Parliamentary leader in National Assembly Ch. Nisar Ali Khan gave briefing to newsmen.
He made it clear that Boucher did not come here with some special message.
He said that PML-N showed its concern over the military drive in Tribal Areas.
He said ‘we cleared to US team that as long as Musharraf is sitting in President House, neither democracy could flourish nor country could progress’.
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