ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his visit to Saudi Arabia made no attempt to contact exiled PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

“This time no one contacted me,” said Mr Sharif.

Speaking from Jeddah, Mr Sharif said Gen Musharraf’s go-betweens had made several attempts to arrange a meeting in recent months, and they had been in contact a few days ago.

Mr Sharif said he had been tending to his mother, who had been admitted to hospital for surgery, but had heard nothing from Gen Musharraf’s aides during the president’s visit to the kingdom.

Gen Musharraf spent less than 24 hours there, meeting King Abdullah and other Saudi officials, including intelligence chief Murqin bin Abdul-Aziz. He made a fleeting pilgrimage to Mecca before coming home on Wednesday morning.

Lt-Gen Nadeem Taj, head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, had accompanied Gen Musharraf.

The visit set off a whirlwind of speculation that President Musharraf intended either to reach out to Sharif, or request the Saudi authorities to prolong his exile.

Mr Sharif said he had no idea whether he had featured in discussions between Gen Musharraf and the Saudi authorities.

“Perhaps things will be clearer in a day or two,” Mr Sharif said. “Pray that I can come back to Pakistan. I want to come back to my country.”

President Musharraf’s spokesman on Wednesday denied reports that the military ruler had met Mr Sharif during his trip to Saudi Arabia.

“It was a bilateral visit and there was absolutely no desire on the part of the president to meet Sharif. Reports in the media regarding their meeting are sheer nonsense,” Qureshi told AFP. “This was pure fabrication by the media.”—Agencies