Pak govt might not last its tenure: Sharif

Islamabad, Sept 2 (PTI) Pakistan's former Premier Nawaz
Sharif Tuesday sounded a warning, saying that the Pakistan
Peoples Party- led (P.P.P.) government might collapse much
before its tenure if its leaders "continue their policies of
breaking promises and ignoring public issues".

Emphasising that his party will not work to destabilise
the government and he did want army to meddle in affairs of
the state, Sharif whose Pakistan Muslim League (P.M.L.-N)
broke away from the ruling coalition last week predicted that
the government will not "last long", as its leaders were fast
losing the trust of people.

"I don't want to make any efforts to destabilise the
government, but I am afraid it will not last long due to its
current way of governance and the policies of its leadership,
which are fast losing the trust of leaders and the people,"
the P.M.L.-N chief said.

The government, which was formed in March, might not
complete its five-year tenure if its leaders continued
"breaking promises and ignoring public issues", Sharif told
Gulf News.

Ruling out any possibility of rejoining the coalition
despite requests from the P.P.P., Sharif said, "We have
crossed that point and we don't want to enter the ruling
coalition again".

Referring to the September six presidential polls, Sharif
said he would not withdraw the P.M.L.-N's candidate, former
Supreme Court Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, who is
running against Zardari.

"Let us wait for polling day on September 6 as it is
premature to say who will win," he said when he was asked if
he saw Zardari as the next President.

On the issue of taking action against former President
usharraf, who overthrew his government in 1999 in a military
coup, Sharif said: "I hold no personal vendetta against
Musharraf... I am not keen on settling personal scores, but he
should be taken to task for his wrongdoings."

He said the government should draw up its own policy to
tackle militants in the northwestern tribal areas instead of
blindly following U.S. policies.

"The issue (militant upsurge in N.W.F.P.) should
immediately be discussed in the parliament to avoid any
further complications.

"Parliament should form a policy to pave the way for
peaceful negotiations because such issues cannot be resolved
with guns only," he told the paper.