Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday said that he is ready to hold dialogue with all state institutions and political parties for supremacy of Constitution, rule of law and democracy. Talking to journalists outside the Accountability Court here, after hearing of corruption cases against him and his family, Sharif invited all state institutions to a dialogue. He said the dialogue would not be held for personal gains but only for the supremacy of Constitution, rule of law and democracy.
To a question about the caretaker setup, he said that many things related to authority of caretaker setup have not been decided yet. Politicians should sit together for amendments in law related to caretaker setup and it should be ensured that the interim government would not go beyond its constitutional mandate, he added.
Sharif said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government will support amendments made in the law regarding caretaker setup. "The government and opposition together can play a vital role in taking decisions about interim government," he said. The prime minister and opposition leader should consult each other for the appointment of the caretaker government as per Constitution, he added.
Earlier, while talking to media persons informally inside the courtroom, the former prime minister said that he is disappointed by the recent role of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in national politics; so negotiations about the appointment of caretaker prime minister cannot be held with it.
He said who abrogated the Constitution is enjoying abroad while a three-time elected prime minister was removed only on the basis of Iqama and his party presidency was also snatched away from him. There are contradictions in justice system, he added.
Sharif further said that Additional Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Wajid Zia, the head of joint investigation team (JIT) that probed the Panama Papers case, would stand outside the residence of former President General Pervez Musharraf (retd) in Chak Shahzad for hours to question him. The FIA official was barred his from entering the Musharraf's house, whereas he (Nawaz) appeared before the JIT on his own, he added.
Despite making serious efforts for development of the country, his name is being recommended for putting on the Exit Control List (ECL), he said. To a question about the harassment of Pakistani diplomats in India, he said it is very unfortunate, adding that what makes it worse is that it has been happening for over the decades.