Youm-e-Takbeer: Nawaz blames ‘generals’ for Balochistan crisis
PML-N chief says Zardari ‘deceitfully’ took over the presidency.
LAHORE:
Joining a chorus of verbal attacks against the establishment’s role in Balochistan, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday blamed a ‘few generals’ for the current mess in the province.
The former premier, who claims credit for making the country a nuclear power, was speaking at a seminar organised by the Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust to commemorate the 14th anniversary of nuclear detonations. The day is celebrated as Youm-e-Takbeer every year.
“A few generals who consider themselves as policymakers are responsible for the unrest in Balochistan,” Nawaz said.
The PML-N chief lashed out at the Pakistan Army, saying the ‘big wigs’ of Balochistan had been sidelined and labeled as traitors. He went on to add that although manifestos of his party and that of Akhtar Mengal, then chief minister of Balochistan, were different they managed to reach a consensus on the question of nuclear tests.
He went on to add that FIRs were registered against Mengal because he supported him at the time of the nuclear tests.
The PML-N chief also denied reports that he was not willing to go nuclear and that he was forced by the army to detonate the country’s first nuclear device.
PPP government
Hitting out at the rival PPP, Nawaz said President Asif Ali Zardari had shown no interest in “becoming the president back then” and that he (Nawaz) had a written account of that, but then Zardari ‘deceitfully’ took over the presidency.
“I was shocked when he became the president and so were the people of Pakistan.”
Nawaz went on to add that Zardari had even tried to convince him to give indemnity to former president Pervez Musharraf.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2012.
Joining a chorus of verbal attacks against the establishment’s role in Balochistan, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday blamed a ‘few generals’ for the current mess in the province.
The former premier, who claims credit for making the country a nuclear power, was speaking at a seminar organised by the Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust to commemorate the 14th anniversary of nuclear detonations. The day is celebrated as Youm-e-Takbeer every year.
“A few generals who consider themselves as policymakers are responsible for the unrest in Balochistan,” Nawaz said.
The PML-N chief lashed out at the Pakistan Army, saying the ‘big wigs’ of Balochistan had been sidelined and labeled as traitors. He went on to add that although manifestos of his party and that of Akhtar Mengal, then chief minister of Balochistan, were different they managed to reach a consensus on the question of nuclear tests.
He went on to add that FIRs were registered against Mengal because he supported him at the time of the nuclear tests.
The PML-N chief also denied reports that he was not willing to go nuclear and that he was forced by the army to detonate the country’s first nuclear device.
PPP government
Hitting out at the rival PPP, Nawaz said President Asif Ali Zardari had shown no interest in “becoming the president back then” and that he (Nawaz) had a written account of that, but then Zardari ‘deceitfully’ took over the presidency.
“I was shocked when he became the president and so were the people of Pakistan.”
Nawaz went on to add that Zardari had even tried to convince him to give indemnity to former president Pervez Musharraf.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2012.