HYDERABAD: Nawaz lists conditions for talks with govt
By M. H. Khan
HYDERABAD, April 9: Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif has set three points for holding negotiations with the government and said no talks can be held until these conditions are met.
He stunned people as he suddenly started his first ever telephonic speech from Saudi Arabia at a public meeting at the Hussaini Chowk in Phulelli on Friday night.
“No talks can be held before the present regime restores the 1973 Constitution, forms a neutral setup in the country for holding free and fair election and appoints an independent election commission with the consent of the opposition”, Mr Sharif said.
He said he was badly missing people of Pakistan and of Hyderabad as he could not forget his own country. “I’ve gone through several phases and my heart beats with yours”, he told people.
He said it was really painful for him to see the country was passing through a difficult phase. He said he intended to do as much as possible for the country but circumstances had created distances between him and his people. “This darkness is about to end and the distance will soon be overcome”, he said. He maintained that people could not gauge his emotions and he found it difficult to control himself, adding that he also understood the spirit of people and their emotions.
The twice-elected prime minister said he would return to complete his mission of strengthening the country. He said the rulers could not keep him away any more and create gulf between him and his countrymen. “Pervez Musharraf cannot reverse the whole process because it is a natural flow (of people’s aspirations) and will reach its ultimate destination. The dictators will try to flee but they will not find an escape route”, he further said.
He said despite trials and tribulations he would not shake hands with dictators as they had destroyed the country. “I will not compromise”, he observed. He said talks could only be held with the government if it met the conditions set by him.
He told people that when he would come to Hyderabad he would announce a Rs5 billion package for Hyderabad because he had planned development works for the city.
He claimed that after the Quaid-i-Azam, the PML-N was pursuing politics of principles to uphold the sanctity of the country’s ideology.
Mr Sharif said PML-N defectors would not be allowed to rejoin the party. “They have started contacting me to rejoin the PML-N but those who have stabbed me in the back and committed treachery cannot be accepted in the party”, he declared in unequivocal terms.
He criticized the government for increase in joblessness, price hike and poverty.
He accused the government of eliminating the country’s Islamic identity and said those who were raising voice against the government were being sent to jail on false charges.
Appreciating the spirit of interned PML-N acting president Javed Hashmi, he said he had had fought for ideology and he and the party were proud of him. “These sacrifices are bound to yield positive results”, he maintained.
He condemned the murder of a PML-N youth wing worker in Layah, Punjab, due to alleged police torture and asked party leaders to lodge an FIR on behalf of the party against police.
“I’ve passed all tests so far successfully and no leader of my party has bowed before the dictators as they are doing their politics in a dignified manner”, he said.
Earlier, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, MNA Memoona Hashmi, Zain Ansari and others spoke on the occasion.
Mr Jhagra alleged that the government had rolled back the nuclear programme permanently under the US pressure.
