LAHORE – Former Pakistan ambassador to the United States, Abida Hussain has alleged that former premier Nawaz Sharif received funds and support from Osama Bin Laden – the former Al-Qaeda chief.
Speaking to a private television channel, Hussain said the militant group chief supported Nawaz Sharif at one time. Adding that, it is a complicated story.
Abida further added that Laden was popular and liked by most of the people, including the Americans. Later, he was treated as a stranger.
“I was appointed as an ambassador during the first regime of Mian Nawaz Sharif,” Hussain said, adding that during her period as ambassador to the United States, former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan had directed her to keep the Americans engaged in talks till Pakistan completes its nuclear program in 18 months.
She also mentioned that the US administration, including the diplomats, senators, and congressmen, used to advise Pakistan against the execution of the nuclear programme. As the nuclear programme was under the purview of the president, most of my conversation used to be with Ishaq Khan and not the prime minister. This is also because Ishaq did not trust anyone,” the former ambassador stated.
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Abida said Pakistan had started its nuclear programme in Zia’s regime but it was completed in 1992. She also revealed that she was made ambassador on the president’s recommendation.
Answering a question, she said though she used to be spied on in the US, she did not undertake any suspicious activity which could be used against her by spy agencies.
She also highlighted the top-level intelligence work by saying that I visited Pakistan five times in 18 months but never communicated via phone, knowing that it could be ‘tapped’.
