Nawaz voices concern over Swat deal

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

News Desk

LAHORE: PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, expressing concern about a controversial peace deal with militants, has said militants in Swat were trying to export their particularly harsh version of Sharia.
“How do we deal with the situation in Swat?” Nawaz asked in an hour-long interview with USA TODAY at his home on the outskirts of the city. “They are now threatening to get out of Swat and take other areas into their custody. So we’ve got to avoid that situation.”
Nawaz said he opposed attacks by US drones on militant hideouts as “counterproductive” and wanted to see dialogue with more moderate groups. Nawaz downplayed fears that the country could be taken over by the Taliban militants. He said the insurgency in Swat and border areas could be defused in just two years if sufficient economic development took place.
Any deal with militants should include commitments that “democracy will not be allowed to deteriorate and the writ of the government will be honoured,” Nawaz said, adding that women’s schools and universities must be allowed to stay open. Nawaz, 59, sounded triumphant. “My eyes still can’t believe what they saw on the 15th of March,” he said. “For the first time in the 60-year history of this country, a day had arrived when the people actually demonstrated their strength, their power. This nation stood up for its rights ó and succeeded.”
Yet Nawaz avoided criticising Zardari directly during the interview and insisted that he wanted to work with the ruling coalition, led by the Pakistan Peopleís Party. Nawaz still wants Zardari to give up some of his presidential powers but says the dispute should be resolved in parliament, not on the streets.
“This country cannot afford any confrontation,” he said. “We’re not going to put our country in jeopardy (because of desire for) power. Grabbing power at any cost is not our motto. “Our motto is to get the country back on the rails of democracy, strengthen institutions like the judiciary and media and take necessary steps to prevent anybody from abrogating or suspending the Constitution.”
He said he had a good relationship with President Clinton — and was a fan of President Obama. “I have never met Obama, but I have a good impression about him,” he said. “I think he’s a good guy.”
Since Obama took office, he said, US diplomats had been reaching out to him and to other political leaders. Nawaz said politicians must set aside their differences and work together to find solutions to the Taliban insurgency and Pakistan’s other pressing needs. “This country is facing huge, huge problems ó internal, external,” he said. “It’s very important that democracy deliver.”

 

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