ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif is set to give a two-week deadline to President Asif Zardari to repeal the 17th Amendment instituted by former military ruler that empowers the president to dissolve the parliament, including Article 58-2(b) that empowers him to sack the government despite stern opposition of his close associates to giving another chance to the president.

But the prime subject of deliberations in the bilateral meeting of Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani with Sharif on a delegation level earlier this week was about the proposed constitutional reforms package for addressing the grievances of Balochistan provinces only. The two leaders also had one-on-one chat on the occasion.

Political sources said here Saturday that Gilani promised to play his role to get Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim league-N demands acceded since he endorsed the views of Sharif on account of certain political subjects.

They say Gilani advised the presidency to accept the demands put forward by the PML-N in the interest of the country and system. The premier would take his cabinet colleagues into confidence about his parleys with Sharif, and the package for Balochistan would be ready for tabling in the joint sitting of the parliament next week.

The sources said Sharif made it clear that his party is not willing to tolerate the accumulation of powers in the presidency since it was against the spirit of the constitution and Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by him and assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Sharif was of the view that Pakistan was facing the problems because democracy had been derailed time and again.