May 24, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 07, 1428

LONDON, May 23: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said uniform in politics never gave Pakistan stability, instead it was responsible for the dismemberment of the country and; according to General Musharraf’s own confession had further weakened the remaining federation.

“Today the battle is not between government and opposition but it is between two competing visions for Pakistan: Quaid’s vision of a democratic state and military dictators’ vision of a garrison state,” he said in a statement released here on Wednesday from the PML-N international headquarters.

Unfortunately, he said, for more than half of the country’s sixty years’ history military dictators kept it hostage to their political ambitions as a result neither democracy could flourish in the country nor could rule of law develop roots.

According to him, the nation was mired in poverty, illiteracy, and diseases. “We don’t pay taxes for training of generals so that they conquer their own country again and again.”

“There is no truth in the argument that martial laws were result of political failures. All martial laws were triggered by either fear of loss of job or political ambitions of military dictators. Our history bears testimony that a military dictator kept clinging to power until the country was dismembered. And when abandoning East Pakistan he did not even give it to back its people but handed over its reins to the Indians,” recalled Mr Sharif.

He said today, after sixty years of independence, ‘uniform rule’ in the country is an insult for the whole Pakistani nation and provided ammunition to those who project Pakistan as a failing state.

Pakistani nation, he said, was as capable and competent as any other nation to run and manage democracy but unfortunately a handful of generals had always considered themselves more patriotic and wiser than 160 million people.

He said post-9 March Pakistan was a new country, “rule of law,

Independence of judiciary, and restoration of genuine democracy through fair and free elections have become a national manifesto. “

He said the collective struggle of lawyers, political workers, and civil society activists had taken shape of a national movement.

“Now there is no role for the uniform in politics. It is time to make 160 million Pakistanis true masters of their destiny.

Another rigged election will jeopardise our federation and create direct conflict between people and armed forces, which can be an agenda of anti-Pakistan forces but not of patriotic people. The future of the country, its constitution, and honour can’t be sacrificed for one person’s blind ambition for power,” he added.