WASHINGTON, Sept 9: Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has urged the Bush administration not to support ‘one man’ against the wishes of the people of Pakistan.

“I think the American administration needs to rethink its policy toward Pakistan,” said Mr Sharif in an interview to the Newsweek magazine.

“The US must not equate Pakistan with Musharraf. It will not go down well with 160 million Pakistanis if the US continues to support one man against the people’s wishes,” he said.

Mr Sharif also tried to assuage the Bush administration’s fear that without Gen. Musharraf, the fight against extremism would falter. “Pakistan must never again allow anyone to use its territory for promoting terrorism,” he said.

“It is very painful to read all these things about Pakistan becoming a training ground for terrorists. I’d like to see a forward-looking progressive Pakistan, not a country associated with terror.”

Addressing the US concern that he is too close to the right-wing religious parties, Mr Sharif said his coalition includes all the parties: secular and religious, big and small.

“It was Musharraf’s policy to sideline the moderate forces in Pakistan in 2002. My party was also sidelined and marginalised. That created a vacuum for the religious parties to fill. Musharraf is responsible for the rise of the religious parties.

Our agenda is not religious. It’s

a very noble agenda [designed] to help the country get back on the rails of democracy and rid it of military dictatorship,” he said.

The magazine, however, notes that Mr Sharif may not get the chance to implement his agenda.

One government official in Islamabad told the Newsweek that a plane would be waiting at Islamabad airport on Monday to whisk Mr Sharif back to jail or Saudi Arabia.

“The court said he had the right to return, it didn’t say he could stay or roam around,” the official said. But Mr Sharif said that Gen. Musharraf could not prevent him from returning home.

“He’s trying his utmost to stop me -- threatening me, saying I’ll take you straight to jail. His tactics don’t scare me,” he said.

The former prime minister also ruled out the possibility of Gen. Musharraf continuing as president.

“Even today he is an illegitimate president. The Constitution does not allow for a man wearing a military uniform to sit in the President’s House ruling the country. Dictatorship has to lose,” he said.

Mr Sharif conceded that when prime minister he committed many of the same high-handed tactics he is accusing Gen. Musharraf of doing.

“We all make mistakes. We are not angels. But even if a democratic government makes mistakes, it does not mean that the army should overthrow it. Let the government be judged by the people.”

Mr Sharif said that a power-sharing arrangement between PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and Gen. Musharraf would

be bad for Pakistan and democracy.

“It will be unfortunate if a person like Benazir Bhutto, who has been struggling for democracy all her life, strengthens the hands of dictatorship at this critical juncture,” he said.

Mr Sharif said that even if Musharraf declared martial law, it would not change the situation.

“If he does, it will be a major defeat for him. It will show that he is running away. It will be a victory for all of us,” Mr Sharif said.

The former prime minister said he does not envision any political role for the Pakistani military in future.

“The army needs to go back to its defence role, back to the barracks and learn that it has no role in politics,” he said.

“The problem always arises when the army steps out of its legitimate domain and interferes in politics. The armed forces should not play any political role. The army’s rank and file is very unhappy with Mr. Musharraf’s actions. They think he is acting above the law and the constitution.”

Despite his strong opposition to the military rule, Mr Sharif said he has always had good relations with the army.

“I’ve always supported this institution that is being destroyed by its chief who happens to be Mr. Musharraf. I think Mr. Musharraf should realise that his actions are alienating the army from him. The soldiers don’t have a good feeling about what’s happening in the country and how Mr. Musharraf is handling the affairs of state.”

In another interview, Mr Sharif acknowledged that it was a military dictator, Gen. Ziaul Haq, who brought him into politics.

“Yes, I had close relations with Zia, but remember that out of 60 years of Pakistan’s history, 32 were under a military dictator, so if someone is surfacing in politics and it happens to be military rule at that time it’s not his fault.

“It was my government that undid the amendments passed by Gen Zia allowing presidents to dismiss parliament,” he adds. “You judge a person by his actions and I’m the one who’s taking all these risks of going back to the country and launching a struggle against the dictatorship.”