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Nawaz demands Musharraf's trial
[The News (Pak) Top Stories] Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday asked the PPP-led government to take a look again at the Charter of Democracy (CoD) he had signed with late Benazir Bhutto to get Pakistan on a truly democratic path or else the loser would be the State.Talking to the Pakistani media here, Nawaz devoted most of his interaction castigating former president Pervez Musharraf, who fearing uncertainty about his future in Pakistan, had taken up a permanent residence in London, only a stone's throw from the posh abode of Nawaz Sharif himself. Goading the former general, the PML-N Quaid said Musharraf's crimes against Pakistan were so horrific that he had no choice but to stay out of Pakistan.Nawaz said it was regrettable that the former military general had not yet been brought to stand trial for his misdeeds. He said it took him and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto two years to sign the historic Charter of Democracy (CoD), which clearly recommended accountability of Pervez Musharraf, restoration of the judiciary, supremacy of the rule of law and formation of a truth and conciliation commission. "By implementing the charter in its true spirit, the PML-N and the PPP could have achieved what has not been achieved in the last 60 years. "The milestone document became the basis for our election manifestos, but today, its value is not more than a piece of paper, signifying nothing. "Its implementation could have formed the basis for punishing the military dictator, who tampered with the Constitution of Pakistan, killed Nawab Akbar Bugti, and threw out my constitutional government," lamented Nawaz, adding that unrest in Balochistan, terrorism in Pakistan, and drone attacks were the legacy of the Musharraf era. Even more regrettable, he said, was the continuation and preservation of Musharraf's legacy by the current federal set-up.Nawaz said Pakistan had been pushed to the brink by military dictators, who never respected the supremacy of the Constitution and trampled over it whenever they desired, without taking into account the possible implications for the progress of the nation. "If Pakistan was not de-tracked again and again by military adventures, we would today not be staring in the face of total gloom. I absolutely have no doubt that all the problems that we face today, including extremism and militancy, would not have raised their head were it not for the military coups." Posted by: Fred 2009-07-04 |
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