'You have become serious after becoming President', Sharif tells Zardari

Islamabad, Sep 9 : Pakistan Muslim League (N) chief Nawz Sharif has told new President Asif Ali Zardari in a lighter vein that "because of your election as president, you have become too serious, not smiling and speaking very little."

Leading a high-level delegation of his party, the PML-N chief met Zardari on Monday to congratulate him on his election as president of Pakistan.

According to a participant at the meeting, Zardari responded: "No, I am normal." "You again want to trap us, but we will not be ensnared," is how Sharif responded smilingly to Zardari's offer to come back in the ruling coalition.

When the delegation members stood up to leave the Prime Minister's House, Zardari invited Sharif to re-join the ruling alliance, saying it was their collective responsibility to cooperate in and out of parliament.

The PML-N leader said in plain words that his party would play the role of the opposition and would be positive in its approach towards the government's policies.

At no point, he said, would the PML-N be negative, the Daily Times reported.

The participant said there was not even a passing mention of the tension that has built up in Punjab because of Governor Salmaan Taseer's outbursts against the provincial government. There was no reference either to any new constitutional package.

"It was just a courtesy call to congratulate Zardari on his election. We have set a new tradition in Pakistan. Before this, we were just hearing or watching on TV screens losing candidates greeting the winner. But this has now happened in Pakistan as well because of our policy," a PML-N leader commented.

He said the PML-N wants to give a free hand to the government and the presidency to work and deliver so that none from them could blame it for any of their failures.

The PML-N leader said the message from Nawaz Sharif to Zardari again on Monday was that his party would not sponsor or be part of any conspiracy against the government but would expect it to honour the electoral mandate of others as well.

ANI