Pakistan's shaky government threatened ex-premier and main opposition leadear Nawaz Sharif with sedition charges on Monday after he called for protests against the president. Lawyers and supporters of Sharif are vowing to blockade the parliament on March 16 over the refusal of President Asif Ali Zardari's government to reinstate fired judges. Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik warned Sharif's speeches in recent days came close to breaking the law. “Inciting people for disobedience is sedition,” Malik told a televised media conference. “It could get life imprisonment.” He read out phrases from speeches he said Nawaz Sharif has made since the Supreme Court disqualified him and his brother from contesting elections and holding public office. Sharif has made speeches calling on the police not to obey government orders and attacked judges who disqualified him saying he does not recognize the rulings of the Supreme Court – the highest in the country. Malik said the government had “no intention” of arresting Sharif, but hinted it had grounds to do so, especially if violence broke out during the march. Hours earlier, Sharif told a large crowd of supporters “we cannot leave Pakistan at the mercy of Zardari,” “People should rise and join the long march to Islamabad to save Pakistan,” he said. “The emotion I am seeing here is a prelude to a revolution.” Malik said the government would not ban the march, but said the protesters would not be allowed to rally in front of the parliament building or other downtown areas. There are reports that army chief general Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani has told Zardari to set things right before the March 16 protest. On Sunday, former president Pervez Musharraf said in an interview on a television channel that he was open to the idea of leading the country again provided he becomes a “useful” president. “If someone offers, I will see whether I can play a role and then I will take the offer. I won't like to be an useless President,” Musharraf said. Analysts and commentators fear months of political chaos. Many are predicting the military will issue the country's squabbling civilian leaders with an ultimatum or simply step in and seize power as they have done so often in the past. Others say the crisis could lead to midterm elections or a limping, wounded government scraping by until polls in 2013.
