Lahore, Mar. 14: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif has opened the door for reconciliation with President Asif Ali Zardari, by saying that he was ready to give Zardari “the next five years if he delivers on his pledges”.

“There is no need for back channel diplomacy or private and secret dialogue. I have not slammed my doors on dialogue. If Zardari showed sincerity, I am ready to give him another five years (after his tenure expires),” The Daily times quoted Sharif, as saying.

The former Pakistan Prime Minister also said that he was ready to work with Zardari as a team, if he reinstates sacked judges and fulfils his promise of an independent judiciary.

“I have no personal enmity with Zardari. If he shuns vested interest and sincerely fulfils his promises to reinstate judges and restore an independent judiciary, I am ready to cooperate with him. There is a massive trust deficit-- he has to remove it,” Sharif said.

He said he was not trying to topple the government, but was only working to strengthen democracy.

He claimed that had his party accepted a ‘deal’ offered by Zardari and supported an extension in Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar’s tenure, the Punjab government would not have been removed and the SC would not have disqualified him from contesting polls.

Sharif also said that Zardari sent Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asfandyar Wali Khan to him to ‘buy time’ to consolidate his position in Punjab and at the Centre instead of settling differences. (ANI)