Islamabad, Mar 14: Addressing a high-level meeting at the presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari has described the lawyers’ Long March and sit-in as political moves and made it clear that political matters would be tackled politically, refusing to heed to the advice of Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

“The restoration of deposed CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is not possible and he will not be restored in any case,” he said.

Prime Minister Gilani attended the meeting. Other participants of the meeting included chairman Senate Farooq H Naek, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik and Information Minister Sherry Rehman.

The president said the government would not show any weaknesses in facing the political challenge. He also made it clear that the Governor’s rule in Punjab will not be lifted and Salman Taseer will not be replaced, The News reported.

Ahead of this high-level meeting, US Ambassador Anne W Peterson held a meeting with Gilani at the PM’s House and later met Zardari. Though no official word was available about these meetings, knowledgeable sources say some important decisions were taken to defuse the situation.

A number of options were also discussed to bring down the rising political temperature in the country. According to sources, it was also agreed that after some initial steps, a constitutional package might be introduced in the Parliament in the form of 18th amendment, which might include steps to strike balance between the powers of the two highest offices.

The Prime Minister briefed the President on his contacts with the Chaudhry brothers and ‘reservations’ within the party. He urged the president to end governor’s rule and suggested that PPP and PML-N must resolve their differences for the good of the country. (ANI)