Coalition with PPP intact but political crisis not over yet: PML-N

Islamabad, Jan 10 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has said it has decided not to force Pakistan People's Party (PPP) ministers out of the Punjab Government, but warned that the political crisis is not over yet.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had assured party chief Nawaz Sharif that the PPP-led government was ready to implement the opposition's 10-point "reforms agenda".

"We welcome the prime minister's move," the Dawn quoted Iqbal, as saying.

"We hope the government will show seriousness in implementing the national agenda which will ensure economic and political stability," he added.

Although Iqbal agreed that for the time being, Gilani had managed to tide over the political crisis that had gripped his government and the country, he said that he believed the crisis was not over yet.

"We hope the government will move swiftly; otherwise the situation can become too complicated for the PPP to handle," he said.

The PML-N spokesman said the party had decided to constitute a three-member committee to monitor the progress on the agenda implementation by the government over the next 45 days, after which the party would announce its strategy.

Iqbal, however, did not say what would be his party's course of action if the government failed to meet its commitment.

Answering a question, he said the committee would play an advisory role and it would be available to help the government, if it faced any problem in implementing the agenda or needed any guidance or advice.

Iqbal said that the PML-N wanted the complete implementation of the agenda because "selective application may not produce desired results". It is noteworthy that the government has already met the opposition's demand to reverse its decision of raising fuel prices.

"The real test of the government begins now," Iqbal said.

The reforms agenda presented by Nawaz mostly comprises PML-N's old demands, including removal of ministers involved in corruption, setting up an independent accountability commission, implementation of the Supreme Court's decision on the NRO and reduction in the size of the Cabinet. (ANI)