JEDDAH — Time for politics of confrontation has passed, according to the former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. Talking to a group of journalists at his residence here Sunday, the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party said: “Politics of Pakistan has matured. It is only right that an assembly is completing its term. It is very good for Pakistan.” In response to a question that many see PML-N as a “friendly opposition,” Sharif said: “We have shown a lot of patience. We could have created problems for the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government, but that would not have been good for the country. Had we come out on the streets, we would have been back to square one.” Sharif, who is in the Kingdom with his family on a private visit following the sudden death of his younger brother Abbas Sharif, said the government has failed miserably. “The people have suffered a lot during this government. It has failed to solve the energy crisis. Look at Karachi, the metropolis of Sindh from where the PPP draws its power. The situation is getting worse by the day there. It did nothing to put the economy on the right path.” Three Es – “Economy, Energy and Education,” according to the former premier, can help put Pakistan on right track. “Economy should be the top priority. But that is dependent on law and order and eradication of terrorism. If you can kick-start the economy, you can solve a number of issues.” On Kargil, Sharif, who was the prime minister when the conflict with India started, said four people were responsible for it. “They are former president and chief of the army staff Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Commander of the 10 Corps Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmad, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Aziz Khan, Force Command Northern Areas chief Maj. Gen. Javed Hassan.” The recent statement by Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence's analysis wing in 1999, that the operation was the brainchild of Musharraf and three other generals has brought the Kargil conflict back in spotlight. He also claimed that the four had kept other military commanders in the dark. Sharif said Musharraf had pressed him to meet the then US president Bill Clinton to intervene. “A panicked Musharraf personally asked me to talk to President Clinton to find a way for an honorable ceasefire.” The PML-N leader said it is very important for both Pakistan and India to have good relations with one another. “India and Pakistan should understand that war is not an option. Let us sit and discuss all issues like good neighbors.” The former prime minister said elections would be held on time. “Recent shifts indicated that there are elements which wanted to postpone elections, but there is momentum. “The survival of the country depends on elections,” he said. Regarding the talk of carving out provinces in Punjab, he said that the way the government is discussing the issue is not serious. “You have to look into so many things. They are dealing with things as if it is a joke. They did not formulate an institutional mechanism where they can discuss national issues.” Talking like a PM-in-waiting he said: “The PML-N has made elaborate plans to put the country on way to growth if it comes to power. We have even planned where the board of governors will be changed on the very first day of the government. We have discussed how the institutions will be taken out of the control of the government. How to handle PIA? We would like to have a bullet-train network from Karachi to Khyber. It would be game-changer.”
