Exiled former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Sunday that a democratic government in Pakistan would handle the fight against terrorism more effectively than President Pervez Musharraf's military-backed administration. Speaking to CNN from London, Sharif argued that Musharraf depends on the terror threat for his own political survival, while an elected government would act out of genuine conviction and with public backing.
Sharif, who served as prime minister twice during the 1990s before being removed in a 1999 coup and sent into exile in Saudi Arabia, announced plans to return to Islamabad on 10 September despite warnings he could face arrest on criminal charges. He dismissed those charges as fabricated, saying his record showed no credible evidence of corruption.
The Supreme Court opened the door for his return in an August 23 ruling. Sharif refused any negotiations with Musharraf, contrasting his position with that of fellow exile Benazir Bhutto, who described a power-sharing arrangement with the president as nearly complete.
Sharif also urged Washington to stop giving unconditional backing to Musharraf, saying Western governments should distinguish between democratic rule and what he called misrule. US lawmakers have raised concerns that billions of dollars in American anti-terror funding to Pakistan have produced little result under the current regime.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2007, in its own words.