Islamabad, Pakistan: “American establishment managed 2008 General elections of Pakistan”, claims former Prime Minister Ch. Shujaat Hussain.
He further claimed that Americans were also behind National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) for managing politics of Pakistan.
In a televised interview with famous anchor Rashida Sial for Channel 5 of Pakistan, Ch. Shujaat claimed that American authorities along with the then Senator (who became Vice-President thereafter) Joe Biden visited him two days before general elections of 2008 at his (Shujaat) residence in Lahore and said that US would not accept election results if his (Shujaat) party won.
“They categorically told us that Americans do not want to see Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) of us to form government in Pakistan”, claimed Ch. Shujaat.
He said that former deputy prime minister and former Chief Minister Punjab Pervaiz Ellahi was also present in the meeting.
It may be mentioned that US delegation headed by Joe Biden also met the then President Gen Musharraf on February 19, 2008 one day after general elections held in Pakistan on 18 February 2008.
Ch. Shujaat maintained that he was against National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and told former President Gen ® Musharraf that NRO would be a spoiler for the democracy of Pakistan. He indicated that Musharraf wanted to stay in power after his retirement and was ready to do anything to stay as President. Former Prime Minister Ch. Shujaat said that NRO was a disastrous act of Gen ® Musharraf.
He said that uniform (Pakistan Army) has a constant role in Pakistan politics and this is (was) an undeniable fact. He said that political governments are (were) usually weak and incompetent therefore Pakistan Army intervenes and take important national issues away from civil governments. He said that Army could (can) take over political government anytime in Pakistan with one jeep and two trucks.
When asked to comment about involvement of RAW in Pakistan, former Prime Minister Ch. Shujaat Hussain said that he had knowledge that one wing (group) of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) was working for Indian intelligence agency RAW.
“We did not left Mian Nawaz Sharif but he left us and went to Jaddah leaving us in Pakistan alone”, commented Ch. Shujaat Hussain when he was asked that why did he leave Mian Nawaz Sharif.
He said that next general elections would be useless without elections reforms because fair and free elections were not impossible in present election system.
When asked to comment over current political culture of Pakistan, he said that politics of decency and collective respect was diminishing in Pakistani politics.
He said that Musharraf could construct Kalabagh Dam and he gave a presentation to Gen. Musharraf for the construction of the dam but he did not take decision and he was fallen to political pressures of different political parties.
