Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (L) and Asif Ali Zardari (R), widower of the slain opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, speak during a joint news conference in Bhurban near Islamabad March 9, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Pakistan's political stability is the top priority and a war between the presidency and the newly-elected parliament would be catastrophic, said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in an interview with Washington Times published on Monday.
"I'm looking forward to working with this government for the full five years," Musharraf told Washington Times in Rawalpindi city on Wednesday.
Musharraf scoffed at speculation in the Pakistani press that he would attempt to derail the results of February 18 elections by using his constitutional powers to dismiss parliament, or not call parliament into session.
"You think someone who has spent his entire adult life defending Pakistan and the past eight years trying to put democracy back on track wants to see the government fail and the country return to political anarchy? " he said, adding "No. I'm committed to making this work."
Musharraf has to seek political reconciliation for political stability after Pakistan's two major parties, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), signed a joint declaration on Sunday on the formation of new government.
The two parties, which emerged as the two largest parliamentary parties in the February 18 elections, agreed on reinstating the deposed judges sacked by Musharraf last November through a parliamentary resolution within 30 days of the formation of the federal government.
(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2008)
