Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif meets US ambassador
(3 Dec 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Wide exterior of Pakistani opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif's house in Rewaind, Lahore 2. Sharif shaking hands with US Ambassador Anne Patterson 3. Various of Patterson meeting Nawaz in his house 4. Cutaway of officials 5. Wide of Nawaz and Patterson arriving for news conference 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Anne Patterson, US Ambassador to Pakistan: "I'm very pleased. We discussed elections procedures, and I think, had a good exchange of views on US policy toward Pakistan and on the electoral prospects." (Question: Are you confident now that the opposition political parties will take part in the elections?) "That of course is up to the opposition parties. But our policy has been, as we mentioned last week, that we hope that the parties will participate and we will work hard to ensure that elections are free and fair. And we hope very much that they are free, fair, and transparent, because that's the only way that Pakistan can move forward." 7. Cutaway of Patterson and Sharif talking to reporters 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nawaz Sharif, leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N (Nawaz group): "We've said that the United States of America has taken a strong stand on the doffing of Mister Musharraf's uniform and also the lifting of emergency, and the PCO (Provincial Constitutional Order), but then lifting of the PCO and emergency will be meaningless if the judges are not restored." 9. Patterson getting into car STORYLINE: US Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson on Monday urged opposition parties to participate in crucial parliamentary elections, which opposition leaders have threatened to boycott to protest a state of emergency declared by President Pervez Musharraf. Patterson made the comments after being welcomed by former Pakistani prime minister and key opposition politician Nawaz Sharif at his house in Lahore. "Our policy has been, as we mentioned last week, that we hope that the parties will participate and we will work hard to ensure that elections are free and fair," told reporters. Patterson reiterated US calls for the lifting of curbs on the media and the freeing of all detainees. But she refrained from calling for the reinstatement of Supreme Court justices, a key opposition demand, which Musharraf has repeatedly rejected. Sharif, however, told reporters following the meeting that the "lifting of the PCO (Provincial Constitutional Order) and the emergency will be meaningless if the judges are not restored". Sharif said he had conveyed the urgency of this demand to Patterson. Sharif was to meet another opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, who is leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, in the capital of Islamabad later on Monday. Bhutto and Sharif, both former prime ministers who have recently returned from exile ahead of the elections scheduled for 8 January, have both threatened to boycott the vote, saying it cannot be held fairly under emergency rule. But Bhutto's party says it does not want to leave the electoral field uncontested for Musharraf's loyalists. A boycott would be a serious blow to US-backed efforts to return Pakistan to democracy after eight years of military rule. Musharraf has said emergency rule will end 16 December - as demanded by Washington and the opposition. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
