Feb 25, 2009

Verdict not in favour because Zardari’s offer refused: Sharif

‘This is an attack on the country and on the country’s constitution,’ said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a press conference on Wednesday. His statement came shortly after Pakistan's Supreme Court declined to rule on a challenge to an electoral ban, effectively maintaining a bar on Sharif standing for election.

Nawaz said that this decision was not a judicial decision but was an executive order and ‘everyone knew the source of this order.’

The Supreme Court also nullified on Wednesday the election last year of Punjab province's chief minister, a lawyer said, effectively dismissing Shahbaz Sharif from office.

Nawaz said that they had been cooperating for nearly a year and tried to never go to a point of no return. He said that contrary to that, Zardari kept on falling back on his promises.'Instead of reinstating the deposed judges, Zardari wanted us to accept the status quo,' Nawaz Sharif said.'Our real judges are the masses, and not the PCO judges. Have a referendum, I say! And only that way we can come to the real verdict — the verdict of the masses.'

'We were asked to stop supporting the deposed judges in exchange for favourable verdicts in our cases...it is now time to unveil these details,' he said.'On one occasion, Mr Zardari called Shahbaz to have lunch with him. He offered Shahbaz a 'business deal' to have the verdicts in our favour. However, in exchange, he wanted us to support him in extending Abdul Hameed Dogar's service...Shahbaz refused and said this arrangement was not possible,' Sharif further said.'Had our personal interest been supreme, we would have accepted the offer,' he said.

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