Nawaz says he has no personal animosity with Zardari

September 17th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - An editorial in one of the leading English dailies of Pakistan has highlighted that President Asif Ali Zardari is being unnecessarily targeted and criticized by certain quarters in the country even if he attempts to address the long pending issues with India in his bid to de-escalate tension between the two neighbour countries. The Daily Times editorial said while Zardari is condemned for his overture to India, similar actions taken by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif goes unnoticed in the country.

August 18th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is not interested in dragging former President General Pervez Musharraf to the court of law, but rather favours reconciliation with the former general. Zardari said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) favours reconciliation with Musharraf, and that the fate of the ex-Army chief would be decided by the parliament.

August 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said his party will not field any candidate against PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in the upcoming by-polls. However, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar was quoted by the Daily Times as saying that the PPP has not yet decided whether to field a candidate against Nawaz or not.

July 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is not optimistic about any talks between party president Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari in the near future. Speculations about a thaw in the relationship between both leaders gained momentum when Zardari called Sharif recently.

July 8th, 2009 LONDON - In an apparent bid to bolster the country's constitution and pull it out from the prevalent political pandemonium, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari may relinquish some of his key powers to share the balance of authority with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. "President Zardari said categorically that he will give up those powers as per the wishes of his party and the parliament," the presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar said.

June 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - President Asif Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif have no plan to hold a one-on-one meeting in the immediate future, their close aides have said. "I asked the president just on Wednesday about a possible meeting with Nawaz Sharif in the near future and was told that there was no such programme," said Zardari's spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

May 6th, 2009 LAHORE - : The United States wants the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif to become Pakistan's Prime Minister and President Zardari to continue on the post, a top Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader has claimed. According to the Daily Times, the leader, who is close to Zardari, said Sharif has become the 'blue-eyed boy' of the US and the rest of the western countries.

May 4th, 2009 RAWALPINDI - The United States is trying to form a government in Pakistan with Asif Ali Zardari as President and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister, Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Mushahid Hussain Sayed has claimed. Talking to Geo TV, Mushahid said he can tell what will not happen.

May 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to face some pressure during the upcoming talks with US President Barack Obama to work with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in an effort to strengthen his civilian government in combating the Taliban challenge. No one here is publicly saying that the Obama Administration is trying to work out a power-sharing deal between Zardari and Nawaz sharif, sources have said.

April 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court will hear May 11 a petition against its order barring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother from contesting elections or holding public office. The court had March 31 suspended its order of Feb 25 against Shahbaz Sharif, enabling him reclaim his job as the chief minister of Punjab province.

April 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief, Nawaz Sharif, has said that his party has no immediate plans to join President Asif Ali Zardari-led Pakistan People's Party at the center. "We have no plans to join the PPP-led government in the Centre," Sharif told reporters after his meeting with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and Chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen in Islamabad.

March 17th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he was only waiting for the retirement of present Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar before restoring Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the country's Chief Justice. "I never said that I am against Justice Iftikhar.

March 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday called off the 'Long March' of opposition politicians and lawyers after incumbent Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would be reinstated on March 21 after present Chief Justice Dogar retires. In an address to the nation, Gilani declared that President Zardari had agreed to most of Nawaz Sharif's demands.

March 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Saturday telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari and conveyed to him the US support for democracy in Pakistan. Clinton also discussed with Zardari the regional and bilateral issues and the forthcoming 'Friends of Democratic Pakistan' meeting to be held in Tokyo next month, according to the News Network International news agency.

March 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's defence minister has criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his alleged calls for civil disobedience and charging President Asif Ali Zardari with being a political 'dictator', saying his comments amount to treachery towards the nation. 'The words uttered by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif fall well within the ambit of treason,' Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told the media in Pakistan's Gujrat city Saturday.