Sharif wants Musharraf to consult politicians before talks

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MAY 29. The former Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, on exile in Saudi Arabia, has urged the military government to take senior politicians into confidence prior to the talks with India.

``The rulers should not create an impression that Pakistan ignores Kashmiris in talks,'' Mr. Sharif said in his message, read out at his party convention on the third anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear blasts. ``The rulers have been begging for talks with India for two years which is a shame,'' Mr. Sharif said the message, read out by acting PML president, Mr. Javed Hashmi. Mr. Sharif's advice to Gen. Pervez Musharraf is interesting, as the military had not taken kindly to his invitation to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, to take a bus ride to Lahore and the subsequent Lahore Declaration. In fact, it is cited in Pakistan as one of the reasons for the coup that led to Mr. Sharif's ouster.

Mr. Sharif said Mr. Vajpayee visited ``Minar-e- Pakistan'' and in fact recognised Pakistan. ``I was dubbed a traitor then. I leave it to the people to decide whether it is betrayal or loyalty to the nation by the present regime''.

The former Prime Minister said he conducted nuclear tests for Pakistan's defence despite international pressure. ``These blasts would be remembered forever''. He paid tributes to the Muslim League workers for their courage and struggle for democracy. ``I am hopeful that the supremacy of the people's rule will be restored''. He said price hike gripped the country. ``I stood against the price hike despite pressure from the World Bank and the IMF''. He wanted to know if the present government succeeded in checking prices. ``Where is the government's seven-point agenda''? he asked.

Expressing concern over deteriorating law and order, Mr. Sharif said the chief of Sunni Tehreek was gunned down along with five others in broad day light adding that the police desecrated ``Data Darbar''.

``I enhanced Pakistan's dignity. I raised salaries of the armed forces. I built motorway. I laid a net of roads across the country. Being Prime Minister I appeared two times in Supreme Court as accused. I resolved a longstanding dispute over distribution of water among the provinces and put an end to octroi system. Whether all these steps were wrong,'' he asked.

``I admit of committing mistakes. I bow in Haram Sharif to apologise for my mistakes. But I will not bow before any oppressor,'' he declared. He said he would return to Pakistan soon.

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