No-trust move or resignation from assemblies: PML-N empowers Nawaz to take final decision

In a bid to dislodge the PPP-led government, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday approved two main options including bringing no-confidence motion move against Prime Minister Gilani and en-masse resignations from the National Assembly. The party authorized its chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, to take a final decision regarding the option to oust the government.
Nawaz Sharif, who chaired the joint meeting of party's central working committee and parliamentary party here at Punjab House, was very critical of the incumbent government for its confrontational policy with the country's institutions. He called upon the coalition partners of PPP to part their ways with the government for its failure to put the house in order.
However, he said, his party will not favour any unconstitutional step. He said there was no possibility of any unconstitutional move. According to insiders, the joint meeting approved some options, which could be exercised against the government including bringing a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, resignation from National Assembly and holding long march for sending the government home. The sources said that the meeting authorized Mian Nawaz Sharif to decide about these options.
In his address, the PML-N chief censured the government for its reluctance to implement Supreme Court's verdict on NRO, adding that the government has lost all justifications to remain in power. He demanded early elections in the country. He told his party members that national institutions were on the verge of collapse in Zardari regime and there was no sign that the rulers would put their house in order, rather they were going by their policy of confrontation. He said that the country was facing severe energy crisis, price hike and unemployment but President Zardari was neither able to pay any attention to these issues nor he bothered to address the same.
He said that the situation would not have been so worse had the charter of democracy (CoD) been implemented in letter and spirit. Referring to the current stand-off between civilian government and military establishment, the PML-N Chief said that there should be no confrontation between the government and the military establishment, which he said was not in favour of the country.
He further said that his party wanted supremacy of the constitution, democracy and rule of law in the country. Meanwhile, briefing reporters after the meeting, PML-N deputy secretary-general Ahsan Iqbal said that the three options were discussed in the meeting. In this regard, he said, the party empowered PML-N chief to decide about what option should be adopted in the best interest of the country.
He said that PML-N had started contacting political parties from Wednesday for evolving joint strategy against the government, saying that Nawaz Sharif had contacted JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman on telephone to discuss with him the current political situation.
To a question, he said that PML-N had 92 members in National Assembly and the number was insufficient to pass no confidence motion against the prime minister. He said that nothing could be possible against the government unless other political parties extend their support. He said that due to the flawed economic policies of the current government, the country's loans had increased from Rs 5 trillion to Rs 11.5 trillion. He said that government had not only posed serious threat to democracy, but also to the country's economy.