Pakistani president favors reconciliation in Musharraf's case

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday advised "friends" to shun politics of vengeance, saying he had not asked anybody to register a First Information Report (FIR) against former president Pervez Musharraf, local media reported Tuesday.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) favors reconciliation in the case of Musharraf, and parliament will decide the fate of the ex-army chief, Zardari told a private TV channel.

The president said the thirst for revenge against the former president should be quenched by reconciliation and the PPP government had not ordered the filing of a case against Musharraf, in line with Benazir Bhutto's philosophy of reconciliation, according to local newspaper Daily Times.

He said he wanted to tell the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that the PPP did not want confrontation among institutions. He said he wished to further strengthen relations with Mian Nawaz Sharif, the chief of PML-N.

The president said all political parties must shun their differences and adopt the course of reconciliation. He said the PPP was committed to the agenda of reconciliation, the local newspaper The News reported.

Meanwhile, under a new strategy, the PML-N on Monday decided to submit an application to the government seeking action against Musharraf under Article 6 of the 1973 Constitution instead of presenting a resolution in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.