Musharraf calls Nawaz Sharif a ‘closet Taliban’

October 5th, 2009 JEDDAH - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will not contest the upcoming Punjab election, as part of a deal struck between him and Pervez Musharraf under the guarantee of Saudi King Shah Abdullah. According to the Daily Times, the 2000 deal prevents the PML-N chief from contesting elections or participating in Pakistan's politics till 2010.

September 14th, 2009 LAHORE - Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has assured former president Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif will not demand a treason trial for him under Article 6 of the constitution. Musharraf said he would demand that all the judges of the superior judiciary who had approved his steps also be tried for treason if the government charged him with sedition.

September 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf Sunday said former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif would not seek his trial for high treason. Sharif has assured King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia that he would respect the agreement (not to call for Musharraf's trial) under Article 6 of Pakistan's constitution, Musharraf told a TV channel.

September 10th, 2009 LONDON - Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf possess some secret records regarding Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and may make them public if the PML-N and PPP push further for his high treason trial. Sources close to the former general, who may 'formally' join politics in December, say that he may take the veil off the records if both the parties continues to target him.

September 5th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said that prosecuting former President General Pervez Musharraf under high treason charges for taking 'extrajudicial' actions on November 3, 2007 would help resolve all crises facing the country currently. Interacting with party workers at his Raiwind residence, Sharif said trying Musharraf would ensure that the door to military interference in the country's politics would be closed for good.

September 4th, 2009 LAHORE - Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hassan has said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has signed a secret deal with former President General Pervez Musharraf that awarded clemency to him from being tried under high treason charges. Interacting with media persons after an Iftar party here, Hassan said the PML-N was also a part of the government like the MQM, ANP and JUI.

September 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said his party would not get involved in any 'undemocratic' process to bring down the ruling PPP government. Interacting with media persons here, Sharif said a change of regime would not resolve the crisis being faced by the country at present.

August 26th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - While former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has come under fire from certain quarters for protecting former President General Pervez Musharraf from being tried under Article six of the Constitution, a report in a leading Pakistan daily suggests that Sharif is being targeted. According to The News, while it is difficult to determine as to who is behind this campaign to prevent Sharif from initiating an all out legal war against Musharraf and press for his trial under the High Treason act, there are indications of involvement of some key government players in this blamegame.

August 17th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US President Brack Obama's Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, has told the Pakistani leadership that as far as Washington is concerned, former President-General Pervez Musharraf is history. In an interaction with former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif at the Punjab House here, Holbrooke said that the United States would not create any hurdle in the way of the Pakistani parliament to put Musharraf on trial for acts of treason against the state.

August 8th, 2009 LAHORE - The invocation of the Pakistani constitution's Article 6 against former President Pervez Musharraf may once again put the civilian government on collision course with the military, and eventually hurt PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif more than President Asif Ali Zardari, the Daily Times reports. A private TV channel quoted Daily Times Editor-in-Chief Najam Sethi, as saying that it was possible that a pro-Musharraf general could impose martial law in the future.

July 26th, 2009 LAHORE - In a significant move, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reportedly invited the Nawaz Sharif led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to join the federal government. According to a private television channel, Gilani called Sharif to discuss the current political scenario of the country, including the military operation against the Taliban and other extremist groups being carried out in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

May 15th, 2009 LAHORE - Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has denied reports that he had asked the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to seek US help during the Kargil war in 1999. In an interview to a private television channel, Musharraf said he had never asked Sharif to talk to the then US President Bill Clinton to 'save the army' during the Kargil war.

April 25th, 2009 LAHORE - The bitter feud between political leaders in Pakistan is once again out in the open with former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif terming former President General Prevez Musharraf 'insane'. During a press conference here, when Sharif was asked to respond on Musharraf's plan to assume charge of the country once again, the PML-N chief said: "He (Musharraf) is insane to think so." Criticising Musharraf's eight-year-long autocratic rule, Sharif said the military rule had worsened the country's law and order situation.

April 15th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif wants former President Pervez Musharraf to be booked for violating the constitution and sacking the judiciary. Speaking at a function in Dubai, Sharif said Musharraf had "ignited a fire" in Balochistan by killing Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

April 2nd, 2009 LAHORE - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has charged former US President George W. Bush and his then Pakistan counterpart General Pervez Musharraf of promoting terrorism in the region.