Rehman discloses Musharraf-Nawaz pardon agreement

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik during a news conference read out documents signed by Nawaz Sharif and three others in which he (Nawaz) appealed to Musharraf for pardon during the trial of the cases against him and his family members; and for leaving the country.

Malik said, "Nawaz Sharif who is criticising the NRO, himself prepared the NRO, but on the other side he is blaming and pressurising the PPP which had not negotiated anything."

The NRO was initiated during Musharraf's tenure and it was cleared by the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Pervez Musharraf was President that time, he added.

The Minister said Nawaz Sharif knew that basically the NRO promulgated by Pervez Musharraf was not prompted or demanded by the PPP leadership.

Raising some questions, Malik asked Nawaz Sharif, is it not true that the NRO promulgated by Pervez Musharraf was not person specific but political leaders and workers benefitted from it.

The Minister asked Nawaz Sharif why he did not raise any objection when he himself returned to Pakistan from exile as a result of the NRO.

Malik said he also wanted to put the facts before the nation that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto rejected the draft NRO when it was presented to her.

Later, former US Secretary of State telephoned Benazir Bhutto and said the US desired elections in Pakistan and at the same time wanted to see democracy flourishing in the country.

Some political leaders also tried to convince Benazir Bhutto, but she refused to meet them.

He said after the judgment in the plane hijacking case, Nawaz Sharif, his brothers and his son Hussain Nawaz made a mercy petition to Pervez Musharraf to waive the sentences of imprisonment to enable him to proceed abroad for medical treatment with the additional prayer that he may not be prosecuted in respect of any alleged past conduct.

Rehman Malik also informed that Nawaz Sharif made a false claim of medical treatment for going to Saudi Arabia and entered into an agreement with Pervez Musharraf which was in fact an NRO.

He (Nawaz) and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif signed an agreement with Pervez Musharraf, desiring to leave for Saudi Arabia to live there and not to "engage in any business or political activities or any other activities of any nature whatsoever against the interest of Pakistan or relating to his incarceration in Pakistan for a period of (10) years, the Minister said while reading out the document.

"Can Nawaz Sharif explain to the nation the legality and morality of this NRO signed by him and his brother with Pervez Musharraf for their personal gains and not for the sake of national interests," he asked and said people should know the facts.

Rehman Malik said PPP was not the main beneficiary of the NRO as only five or six people were supposed to benefit from it.

The Minister said he faced about nine cases in courts and personally appeared before the courts and was exonerated.

Nawaz Sharif is talking too much about the NRO promulgated by the previous regime but forgot the NRO he had signed with Pervez Musharraf to escape imprisonment, he said and added that he would reveal more facts on the matter.

Answering a question, Rehman Malik said he has handed over important documents on the matter to his son, who would make them public if anything happened to him.