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India is civilised, Pakistan isn't, says Sharief's wife

Ashok Tuteja in Dubai

Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of deposed Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharief, has described India as a "civilised society" where the armed forces have no role to play in the government.

She appealed to United States President Bill Clinton to put off his visit to Pakistan until the military regime there promises an early restoration of democracy.

"I strictly believe that the army's duty is to defend the country. In your neighbourhood, in India, has anyone seen a snap or political statement of any general? That is a civilised society, which unfortunately, we could not become," she said in an interview to the Gulf News.

She continued: "The US president should use his utmost pressure so that the military rulers give some timeframe for an early return to democracy in the country. As a member of the civilised world, he should not authenticate military rule by coming to this part of the world without concrete assurances for the restoration of civilian rule."

She sounded optimistic about the success of her struggle to liberate her husband, whose government was overthrown by General Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup on October 12, 1999.

Kulsoom Nawaz was all praise for Pakistan President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar. "If he has not been able to play a constructive role so far, I am sure that he will do it in the future. I think he has taken a good step by not resigning. I think he is very pious and patriotic and a good human being. I am glad that a person like him is visible when there is darkness all around," she said.

She vehemently opposed any permanent share for the armed forces in government set-up.

Asked about the prospects of a patch-up with the military regime or any offer in this regard from the "right quarters", she said "nowadays, we are only experiencing excesses and high-handedness of the rulers."

Kulsoom Nawaz charged the military regime with levelling baseless allegations against her husband in the past five months.

"For the past five months, they [the rulers] have levelled baseless allegations against the elected premier. And today, when it is his turn to give answers, he is being denied his right. What is he going to say? He will only answer the allegations levelled against him. Why is he being deprived of this right? Why are they afraid that he will speak anything that will harm this country? He is not a child," she said.

She termed the move by the military regime to hold local body elections in Pakistan as a waste of time. "It is only recently that we organised local body elections. Let the people work and develop this country," she said.

UNI

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