Extending an olive branch to former ally Nawaz Sharif "on behalf of the government", premier Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said his PPP and the PML-N should "remove misunderstandings" and work together for the sake of democracy and economic development in Pakistan.
The two leaders addressed the media emerging from a over two-hour-long luncheon meeting, their first since a political crisis was defused on March 16 when the government acceded to PML-N demand to restore Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry and other judges sacked by ex-President Pervez Musharraf during the 2007 emergency.
Amid speculation that the meeting may lead to the formation of a PPP-PML-N alliance and sidelining of President Asif Ali Zardari, Gilani said "I am here with a message from Zardari...I, on the behalf of the government, come to Nawaz Sharif with an olive branch."
Noting that Pakistan is facing many challenges including on the economic front, the premier said the two parties should "remove misunderstandings" and "work together" for democracy and economic development of the country.
Sharif said he "appreciates" Gilani's message which reflects "his concern for the nation". "The restoration of judiciary has fulfilled the popular demand...It is not a matter of winning or losing. It is a victory of justice and a victory of the masses," the former premier said.
{{/usCountry}}Sharif said he "appreciates" Gilani's message which reflects "his concern for the nation". "The restoration of judiciary has fulfilled the popular demand...It is not a matter of winning or losing. It is a victory of justice and a victory of the masses," the former premier said.
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