Nawaz Sharif in bed with anti-Pakistan elements, says Musharraf

LONDON: Former president and leader of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf has called Nawaz Sharif “anti-Pakistan” for being in bed with the likes of Taliban and Baloch nationalists.
Musharraf was addressing a rally of his supporters organised by the Greater London unit of APML. It was held in the Borough of Waltham Forest - home to most Pakistanis living in London. Minus the shoe-throwing incident that followed the start of former president’s speech, it was a very well organised and successful public meeting and those present in the hall adored Musharraf, cheered and clapped him when he extolled the virtues of his rules and the alleged corruption of today’s rulers. Unable to return to Pakistan where he faces prosecution on account of Benazir Bhutto’s killing and many other possible charges, Musharraf has taken to visit big Pakistani owned businesses in London and is regularly invited by affluent Pakistanis at their homes and businesses.
The public attendance heartened Musharaf so much that he challenged Nawaz Sharif to hold a similar rally and bring out the similar crowd to prove his Pakistan Muslim League-N’s claim that “East London was their heartland”. Many of the people cheering Musharraf at the rally formerly belonged to Pakistan Muslims League-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Musharraf charged that Nawaz Sharif was providing political cover to religious extremists. “He has close links with Taliban and that’s why he never speaks against them. He has friendships with Balochistan Liberation Army, Talal and Shahzain Bugti, he lives with them and treats them at their house. He is in bed with anti-Pakistan elements,” he said in reference to Nawaz Sharif’s support for Shahzain Bugti, who was recently arrested with a cache of weapons allegedly planted by the security establishment in the caravan accompanying him.
He said while people in the Middle East had risen up against the dictatorships and wanted to dispose them off; the situation in Pakistan was so bad that people were approaching the army to come back to power to rid the country of corruption and bad governance.
“The country is in turmoil. The current rulers are ill equipped to govern efficiently. They have failed to curtail the rise of extremism and insecurity. Price hike is killing people. Middle class is going back to abject poverty and people are leaving Pakistan because their hopes have been quashed,” said Musharraf, claiming that Pakistan shined during his reign.
Meanwhile, the shoe-throwing incident eclipsed Musharraf’s show in East London when the news spread across Pakistan. A 23-years-old West Midlands youth sitting in the fifth row threw shoe in the direction of the former military ruler but it failed to reach the stage. The private security of APML removed the man from the hall. Two other people were also thrown out for raising slogans.
Speaking to The News over the phone later on, the British Pakistani shoe-thrower said he didn’t belong to any party and was not paid for by anyone. “I was born in Britain and grew up here but it makes me incensed when I see the hypocrite Pakistani politicians talking big.
I am aware how they have done everything to destroy the land of my parents and the country that I love. He insulted Pakistanis by handing over Dr Aafia Siddiqi to America,” he said, adding Pakistani leaders risked facing the wrath of Diaspora Pakistanis.
The self-exiled APML leader become the second Pakistani politician after his successor President Zardari, who, within the span of 6 months, has become the victims of an attempted footwear assault in the United Kingdom. President Zardari was assaulted with a shoe by Sardar Shameem Khan in Birmingham in August last year at the PPP rally.