LAHORE, Oct 6: PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif says the nation must not “remain tethered to a vengeful past” and instead seek to move forward.

In carefully-worded answers during a Dawn Dialogue interview via e-mail from London, Mr Shahbaz Sharif said he had the greatest regard for the “highly disciplined institution of the armed forces of Pakistan. The problem is with those who abrogate the Constitution, impose military rule and in the past have left Pakistan dismembered and in deep crisis. This must not happen again. But we must also not remain tethered to a vengeful past and move forward instead.”

The PML-N leader proposed a genuine grand national alliance, which he considered imperative for Pakistan’s future. He said he believed there would be “another kind of politics this time around as we have learnt important lessons from the past”.

Mr Shahbaz Sharif reiterated that the Sharif family had signed no agreement with the Musharraf regime to withdraw from politics. “If there is an agreement, why doesn’t the government make it public?”

On the unification of five PML factions, Mr Sharif said: “I see it as another attempt that will fail because it is not conducive to reality and the electorate does not trust it as genuine.” are now ready.