Sharif claims he offered to help US to hunt Osama in 1999

Pakistans former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that in 1999 he offered the United States the use of Pakistani territory to hunt down Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Lahore, Dec 3 : Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that in 1999 he offered the United States the use of Pakistani territory to hunt down Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

But, he said, President Pervez Musharraf, the then commander of Pakistan's military, rejected the idea, saying "these people are our first line of defence."

"I was amazed and I was stunned," Sharif was quoted, as saying in an interview to a foreign news agency.

Sharif said that he is not a fundamentalist, but a moderate and shuns extremism.

"I have been condemning all sorts of terrorism, whether in Pakistan or outside Pakistan," Sharif said, adding "We are moderates; we follow moderation and nothing except moderation."

"Remarks are made by other countries without taking (into consideration) our cooperation that we have extended in the past. To me this (extremism) is unreasonable and I am disappointed," The Nation quoted Sharif, as saying in the interview.

Sharif went on to say that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), would have no dispute with Musharraf if he restored the deposed judiciary to its position before the declaration of emergency in the country on November 3.

"We love Pakistan and are ready to move on, casting aside all the differences, but if deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan and other 60 judges are not reinstated we have no other option but to boycott the elections," Sharif was quoted, as saying.

"There is no point in Musharraf taking off his uniform, or lifting emergency rule unless the judiciary is reinstated with dignity and honour," he added.

Musharraf warned that if the deposed judges were not restored, then the opposition parties would come out on the streets irrespective of the consequences, including the use of brutal force against them or being put behind the bars.

Expressing confidence of winning the war against dictatorship, Sharif said that Musharraf had already been isolated and a very little part of establishment now supported him, whereas people have already stood against him.

He said that Musharraf should decide in favour of Pakistan or he would meet the same fate as the other dictators.

ANI