LAHORE: Nawaz Sharif, chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, has called upon the government not to accept “US unilateralism because one-sided ties cannot and should not be maintained”.
Mr Sharif, speaking at a press conference on Saturday after a meeting with US Ambassador Cameron Munter, said the government must shed its “subservience to the Americans even it means annoying the US and a few individuals in Pakistan”.
About his meeting with the ambassador, Mr Sharif said “we had a frank discussion on all issues”.
Looking fully recovered from his heart problems, an uncharacteristically belligerent Nawaz Sharif told journalists at his Raiwind residence that “the Abbottabad incident was an existential threat to Pakistan and had more serious repercussions than the threat to nuclear installations. Does the US understand our position?”
The former prime minister claimed credit for “making stronger and meaningful the draft of a toothless resolution which was being prepared for adoption at the end of the in camera session of parliament (on Friday)”. He said the government was not even ready for the resolution, but gave in after “a few hours of relentless pressure”.
The first draft did not contain the demand for an independent inquiry commission, stopping of drone attacks or suspension of Nato supplies.
About ties with the US, Mr Sharif said the draft only talked about “revisiting” the relations. The revised resolution, which came after hours of discussion between the prime minister and the leader of opposition, talked of an independent commission.
The commission, the PML-N chief said, should be set up immediately after firming up the terms of reference for it. Otherwise, the “PML-N will finalise its own course of action”.
Nawaz Sharif, flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali, said he had told the US ambassador that Pakistan felt bad over the 9/11 tragedy that killed 3,000 people.
“But Pakistan has lost 35,000 people in terrorist activities. Over 5,000 security personnel have been martyred in the war on terror.
“The US and the world are ignoring all these sacrifices. What Pakistan is getting in return? It is getting its sovereignty trampled upon. Does the US and world at large realise this? Mr Munter has been told in clear terms that the US unilateralism is unacceptable,” he said.
AGENCIES TAKE FLAK: He was as critical of the role of security and intelligence agencies as other leaders of the PML-N have been.
“They must stop subverting the Constitution, toppling governments, running parallel administrations and strengthening one political party at the cost of others. The agencies must not play a role in unifying different factions of the PML.
“Foreign policy and determining bilateral relations with other states is the prerogative of elected governments, not of the agencies,” he insisted.
He said the army and intelligence agencies’ budget be presented in parliament, adding that institutions should be subservient to civil authorities.
When it was pointed out that his latest stance on the role of the armed forces contradicted his earlier suggestion that all “stakeholders, including the army and the judiciary, should jointly hammer out the future agenda of Pakistan”, the former premier said “everyone on the table first has to pledge allegiance to the Constitution”.
Talking about US drone attacks, Mr Sharif insisted that “drones should not be allowed to take off from Pakistan’s airbases”.
The government should also make public all the “agreements, verbal or written, related to drones”.
He advised Tehrik-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to carry out sit-ins in front of the “houses of those who made the drone agreements”.
When asked whether the ISI chief should quit in keeping with his offer made during the in camera session, Mr Sharif said: “Let the inquiry commission decide all matters related to the issue”.
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