Pakistan: Sharif rules out alliance with Bhutto

Defending his U-turn on participating in the upcoming polls, Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said a 'partial boycott' would have been 'disastrous' for the opposition even as he ruled out any electoral alliance with his rival Benazir Bhutto.

"We have been (saying) very strongly from the very first day that if any boycott is to take place, it must be unanimous. Any partial boycott will be disastrous for the opposition," Sharif said a day after his party decided to take the plunge into the electoral arena and contest the January 8 parliamentary polls.

The PML-N, which had been pushing for a boycott, changed its stance after it failed to convince Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and the faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman to abstain from the election.
"After having failed to convince them (Bhutto and Rehman) for a boycott, we came back to the All Parties Democratic Movement and made this very strong recommendation that we must participate in the elections to block President Pervez Musharraf's unconstitutional actions," Sharif told Dawn News channel.

Asked if he would form an electoral alliance with the PPP, Sharif ruled out any pre-poll alliance with any party, including the PPP.

"We are not going into any electoral alliance with any party. We will be contesting the elections ourselves and we have no intention of forging any alliance with any other party," he said, adding the PML-N could have seat adjustment with 'certain parties.'

Sharif said he had not been in touch with Bhutto, who is currently in Dubai to meet her family, since Sunday night's meeting of the APDM that decided to allow the opposition alliance's constituents to decide independently whether to boycott or participate in the polls.

He, however, kept the door open for further contacts with Bhutto.

"There was hardly any time to get in touch with her, she is in Dubai. Let her come back, let us see how we perform in these coming days in the election campaign. If there is any need to get in touch with each other, we will do so."
 
Sharif, who on Monday formally kicked off his election campaign, explained that the PML-N decided to contest the polls after it failed to finalise a charter of demands with the PPP to ensure free and fair elections.

The two parties also could not agree on a deadline for the government to fulfil the charter of demands, he said.

"In our meeting with Benazir Bhutto in Islamabad a few days ago, it was very clearly understood and agreed that we will announce a cut-off date (for fulfilling the demands) before the elections," he said.

The charter of demands 'did not materialise' and Bhutto said 'we have to give the deadline after the elections, 'Sharif said.

"So I don't know what will that mean -- giving a deadline after the elections?"

Sharif said the 'number one item' on the PML-N's agenda is the reinstatement of judges of the superior judiciary who were sacked for not endorsing the emergency imposed by Musharraf.

"And if this demand is fulfilled by Musharraf before the elections, we will be very happy. But if it is not, we will keep struggling till we get the judges restored to the position of November 2 (before the imposition of emergency)," he said.