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| Nawaz shares his Khaki (mis)trust with Zardari |
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, during his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari the other night at the Presidency, said to have told the president to learn from his “bad experience” of bringing an Army chief of his own choice in the shape of General Pervez Musharraf, implying that Zardari should not repeat the mistakes Nawaz had made.
The top source even claimed that the dramatic statement of Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday that President Zardari was finally ready to shift the powers to appoint services chiefs was actually linked to the “useful tips” given to the president during the meeting.
The sources said, however, it was not clear if Nawaz Sharif was trying to frighten President Zardari by giving his own example of October 12, 1999 or he was sincerely giving a friendly advice to his host.
The sources said after hearing the long tale of Nawaz about his “bad experience” with the military man of his own choice, who had staged a coup on October 12, 1999, a smiling Zardari was said to have told him that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani would be dealing with the issue of such top level appointments as he did not know anyone in the military because of his long ordeal in jail.
The sources said President Zardari had actually given clear hints during the meeting that he was ready to shift his powers to the prime minister. The latest statement by Information Minister Kaira has greatly convinced many in the Nawaz Sharif camp that Zardari was not joking about shifting his powers to the prime minister.
This correspondent contacted Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for President Zardari, but he refused to say anything on this part of discussion that took place in the meeting. “I cannot say anything over and above what has already been sent to the media in a press note issued after the meeting,” he said.
Earlier, giving the inside story of this meeting between the two leaders, the sources said Nawaz Sharif was now almost in the habit of narrating his own experiences at the hands of military leaders as and when he met Zardari or Gilani.
Earlier, the sources said, Nawaz was said to have told Zardari that there was no use of bringing a man of his own choice as Army chief as Musharraf did not even spare even his benefactor. The sources said, however, after listening to his story and from past experience of such appointments, Zardari told Nawaz he knew this very well and the decision to make such appointments would now be taken by the prime minister as and when the time came.
The sources said President Zardari offered a very interesting reason behind his decision to shift powers to make the appointments of services chiefs to Premier Gilani.
The president was said to have told Nawaz that he did not know anyone in the military command because first he lived in jail for a long time and now again he was living inside the long walls of the Presidency. “I don’t have exposure to military officers, so the prime minister will make such appointments,” the sources quoted Zardari as telling Nawaz.
The sources said when Gilani had visited Raiwind last time in a bid to break the ice between Zardari and Nawaz, he was also given similar lessons not to trust the Army generals.
The sources said during the discussion in Raiwind, an overconfident premier in a bid to show his complete grip over the establishment and government affairs had indicated to Nawaz that the military leadership was with him.
Upon hearing this claim from Gilani, a smiling Nawaz was said to have narrated him another story about how he extended a huge favour to a top general and then how the same man treated him in a humiliating manner during the October 12 coup.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
