Pakistan

Musharraf to go - Sharif

Article published on the 2008-05-28 Latest update 2008-05-28 16:22 TU

Nawaz Sharif
(Photo: Reuters)

Pakistan Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif says that he's reached an agreement with the People's Party leader, Asif Ali Zardari, to oust President Pervez Musharraf. Zardari has yet to confirm the deal, which Sharif says was sealed at inter-party talks on Tuesday.

"I have spoken with Mr Zardari that we should throw him out to respect the mandate of the people of Pakistan and he agreed yesterday to do so," Sharif told a rally in the eastern city of Lahore to mark the tenth anniversary of Pakistan's first nuclear tests.

"Musharraf did not fulfil his promise to quit the presidency if people did not vote for his party," he told an enthusiastic crowd and went on to demand that the president be tried for sedition.

The People's Party chief and Sharif met Tuesday to discuss constitutional changes, following the withdrawal of Sharif's PML-N from the government earlier this month in a row over reinstating sacked judges.

Zardari last week described Musharraf as a "relic of the past" but has not yet publicly called for him to go.

Musharraf's spokesperson, Rashid Qureshi, dismissed rumours that he will resign as "absolute nonsense".

The two parties came out on top in February's election, which saw the humiliation of Musharraf's political allies.

Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup which deposed Sharif in 1999. Last year, under massive popular pressure, he resigned as army Chief of Staff and allowed the party leaders to return from exile.

Zardari's wife, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated during the election campaign.