Islamabad, Jan 5: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on friday reached out to Pakistan's top political leadership, including PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, to thwart a cleric's plans to pressure the government on the formation of a caretaker administration to oversee the upcoming general election.
Ashraf contacted several political allies and foes, including Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Sharif, and held a meeting with senior PML-Q leaders during the day to discuss the threat posed by Tehrik Minhaj-ul-Quran chief Tahir-ul-Qadri.
Qadri recently returned to Pakistan after living in Canada for seven years and shook up political circles by threatening to lead a "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad on January 14 if the Pakistan People's Party-led government does not consult the army and judiciary on the formation of the caretaker government.
Politicians have accused Qadri, who has a huge following, of being a front for the powerful security establishment.
Prime Minister Ashraf telephoned PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif this afternoon and both leaders agreed that "democracy was the way forward and the people of Pakistan would not allow any attempt to derail the democratic process", said a statement issued by the premier's office.
Though the statement did not identify the forces trying to derail the democratic process, remarks made by Ashraf and Sharif made it clear that they were referring to Qadri.
Sharif said Pakistan had "lived with the horrors of so-called slogans of revolutions and long marches".
He said the best way to ascertain the people's wishes is through the ballot.
Ashraf said democracy was restored due to the "arduous struggle of political forces" and the system needs "continuity to evolve".
