Pak has world class security measures in place for its nukes: Sharif

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.

October 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General, Ashfaq Kayani, secretly met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif fuelling speculations of all kinds in Islamabad's political circle. According to the Dawn, the secret meeting took place at midnight of September 30 in Rawalpindi where Sharif came to meet the army chief without security and protocol.

October 1st, 2009 LONDON - Amid growing international concerns over Pakistan's nuclear assets falling into extremists' hands, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has also expressed fears regarding the safety of Pakistan's nuke weapons. Addressing a gathering here, the IISS Director, Mark Fitz said that while Islamabad has assured the world that it has taken all measures to ensure the safety and security of the country's nuclear weapons, the extremist threat still looms large.

September 25th, 2009 LAHORE - Continuing his animosity with the Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, former President General Pervez Musharraf has described the former Prime Minister as a 'closet Taliban'. In an interview to ABC News, Musharraf called Sharif 'abrasive' and 'confrontational'.

September 10th, 2009 RIYADH - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif arrived here with his family to perform Umra. A private TV channel, while quoting sources, said that Sharif's visit is not political.

July 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is not optimistic about any talks between party president Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari in the near future. Speculations about a thaw in the relationship between both leaders gained momentum when Zardari called Sharif recently.

June 15th, 2009 LAHORE - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has stressed on the need for a special security squad to curb terrorism in the country, saying police forces lack the training and skills to counter extremism. Talking to reporters after offering his condolences at the grave of Dr Sarfraz Naeemi at Jamia Naeemia here, Sharif said there is an immediate need to overhaul the security system.

June 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the Taliban and other extremist groups are now planning to expand their writ into the province, as the security forces have successfully flushed them out from important locations in the Swat Valley. "There is no doubt that one of their aims is to penetrate into Punjab as well as to stop operation in Swat," The Nation quoted Sharif, as saying.

May 25th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said that extremism is growing over US drone raids inside the tribal region of the country. He expressed these views, while speaking to the visiting US Senators here on Monday.

May 7th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday rubbished reports that Islamabad has shared information about its nukes with US authorities. Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters here that information about Pakistan's nukes is sacrosanct and could not be shared with any other country.

April 12th, 2009 LAHORE - While India has taken a tough stance scrapping all bilateral talks with Pakistan in the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks ,former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that he would have initiated talks with the neighbouring country if such an incident had occurred on his own soil. "If I were the prime minister, I would have seen how concerned India was and what India's involvement was.

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.

March 30th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif has expressed willingness to have a working relationship with President Asif Ali Zardari, who has fulfilled most of the PML-N's demands. Zardari agreed to restore the deposed judiciary in Pakistan, and has now he has accepted a proposal to lift the Governor's Rule in Punjab.

March 12th, 2009 LAHORE - Sacked Punjab Chief Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif has urged security personnel and officials to defy all unconstitutional orders of the PPP- led coalition government. Talking to media persons at his Raiwind residence, Sharif said the proposed lawyers protest march would receive an overwhelming response from the people of Pakistan.

December 24th, 2008 ISLAMABAD - India would have launched a war in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks but for the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif asserted Thursday. Sharif, who is also the brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, told a Christmas event in Lahore: 'The defence of Pakistan is undefeated and no one can look at the country with evil intentions.' The News website quoted him as saying that if Pakistan were not a nuclear power, India would have attacked it in the wake of the Mumbai savagery for which New Delhi has blamed Pakistani terrorists.