Monday, February 25, 2008

Nawaz Sharif tells the Americans a truth they hate to hear


Monday, February 25, 2008


ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson met former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif here at the Frontier House on Monday. During the meeting, the envoy exchanged views with the PML-N leader on the new political scenario and the ongoing fight against terrorism following the February 18 elections, party sources said.

Nawaz Sharif said the ongoing war on terror is not in favour of Pakistan; accordingly, the new parliament will decide upon the strategy of fight against terrorism in future.

According to the sources Nawaz Sharif briefed the envoy about the party's agenda including restoration of pre-emergency status of judiciary, supremacy of the parliament and strengthening of democracy.

The ambassador greeted Nawaz Sharif over the party's victory in the parliamentary elections held a week ago, the sources said.

Later talking to media, Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan gives great importance to its relations with the United States. He said that his party condemns all kind of terrorist activities but was of the view that negotiations provided a means to address the causes and find a solution instead of relying on force alone.

Nawaz Sharif said that if Pakistan could hold talks with India to resolve long standing disputes then there was no reason not to engage in dialogue with those involved in terrorist activities.

Responding to a question, he said the PML-N remains committed to restoring pre-emergency status of the judiciary and added that the heads of other political parties "are also with us on this stand."

Nawaz Sharif said that his party gives full respect to the mandate of PPP in the center while PPP would support PML-N to form government in the Punjab. The PML-N leader said that his party had not opened its doors for PML (Q) as the masses "have rejected the policies of Q-League." He said the PML-N believes in politics based on principles.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

tiger cha gaya! We need so straight-talking there. The War on Terror is different from Pakistan's terrorism challenge. The former is US's headache, the latter ours. The strategy for the former was US-dictated; for the latter, the Parliament and the law set the rules.

The former can never be won; in the latter, we can win through the right kind of politics.

William deB. Mills said...

If Sharif is publicly calling for talks with insurgents at the same time that the PPP is publicly apologizing to the people of Baluchistan, exactly what is going on in private?

Those two messages seem to fit together extremely well. For two parties that have been at each other's throats for two decades, this is an impressive display of synchronized cooperation.

Can it last?

Anonymous said...

If you would like to see what little children are allowed to watch on public streets in San Francisco, look at the "Americans for Truth" site. Feel free to make copies of these depravity photos (before their BIG QUAKE hits) and quietly "plant" them inside every McDonald's along with a note saying that "this is what McDonald's likes to support!" And guess what Obama, Pelosi and other Homocrats like to support! Disgustedly, John