Nawaz Sharif 'feels sorry for becoming party in Memogate case'

ISLAMABAD - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday regretted his decision to move the court against the previous government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani in the memogate case.

Talking to media outside the accountability court on the hearing of corruption cases, the former premier said, " I should not have become part of the  memogate case against PPP government and Husain Haqqani".

Memogate Case

The Memogate scandal surfaced in 2011 when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz revealed that he had received a letter against Pakistan Army from Haqqani for the then-US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

Following Ijaz's claims, a judicial commission was set up to probe the memo, which mentioned a possible military take over in Pakistan following the killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid in Abbottabad.

In the memo, assistance was sought from the US to save the then government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) giving an impression that PPP government is Pro-US.

Later, the judicial commission found that the memo was written by the former ambassador and was authentic.

The matter was taken to the Supreme Court by then opposition leader Nawaz Sharif after which Haqqani had resigned as an envoy.  Nawaz Sharif demanded an inquiry into the matter and also threatened to resign from the National Assembly if the Zardari government did not satisfactorily probe the matter.

Nawaz on NAB

The former prime minister also came down hard on the National Accountability Bureau for its decision to put the name of envoy-designate to the US Ali Jahangir Siddiqui on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Terming the NAB as "black law," he said that it was designed by a dictator, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf to target the politicians. He called for ending such laws introduced during the ear of Martial laws.

Sharif said that NAB was largely misused before 2002 elections. He feared that the anti-graft watchdog can again be misused to damage the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) before the upcoming general elections.

Talking about Musharraf's return to Pakistan, the former prime minister said that former president always spoke lies about his return.

Sharif futher said that he along with his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was facing the courts, adding that public should understand differences between people like Musharraf and politicians.

Nawaz on CJP's Interview

The former prime minister further said that he is observing things like the recent interview of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to a news anchor and a newspaper article discussing the army chief's 'doctrine'.

Not Umpire's Finger But People's Thumb

Nawaz further said that he was not the person who took signals from others, adding that he had paid price for saving democracy.

Referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, he said that these are the thumbs of people not the finger of umpir that will deliver votes.

"I am being attacked for standin with the Constitution," the three-time prime minister said.