Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, in his new book Lal Haveli Sey Awaam-e-Mutahidda Tak, has made some shocking revelations regarding politics in Pakistan. In the book, released recently, he has highlighted that Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had a big role in Nawaz’s departure to Saudi Arabia in 1999 after he signed a deal with former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
Maryam Nawaz has deep contacts, revealed Sheikh Rasheed, within the Saudi royal family. The book was launched on Saturday at a local hotel in Lahore, and the launch ceremony was attended by prominent politicians, journalists, and others. Sheikh Rasheed writes that Maryam Nawaz has established links with the royal family.
“She has friends in the royal family and can exercise influence,” he added. Sheikh Rasheed also pointed out that Shehbaz Sharif, younger brother of Nawaz, was reluctant to leave for Saudi Arabia. “Shehbaz Sharif did not want to leave for the Kingdom. However, he was persuaded and then forced to leave the country along with his elder brother,” he added.
‘Respected army officer acted go-between in Shehbaz-Musharraf relationship’
Politicians, insiders of Pakistani politics, and many in the media have always been aware that Musharraf and his government advisers were, at different points in time, in touch with Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif. Many close to Musharraf always thought of Shehbaz Sharif as a rational, sane, and a nationalist politician.
However, the same courtesy was not extended to Nawaz. Political rumor mills had started churning after the younger Sharif was allowed to shift to London in 2004-5. Sources reveal that late Brigadier Niaz was the go-between in the Shehbaz-Musharraf relationship. Ironically, Shahbaz lived and conducted all his meetings in the same MayFair Apartments opposite Hyde Park London, which have been the center of attention in the Supreme Court of Pakistan more recently.
Niaz enjoyed huge respect in the military. He was one of the officers who had refused to fire on crowds of protesters in Lahore in 1977 when former president General Zia had imposed martial law. Zia had then ordered the court-martial of the senior officers who had refused to fire on civilian protesters and Brigadier Niaz and Brigadier Ashraf were amongst the senior officers sacked from Pakistan Army for subordination.
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Military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf seized control from Nawaz in a bloodless coup in 1999. Nawaz was imprisoned on corruption and other charges and then entered into an understanding with the government to go abroad for 10 years in return for having the charges against him dropped. He lived in exile in Saudi Arabia for seven years.
He had approached the top court seeking to return in late 2000s, arguing that he and his family were unconstitutionally forced from the country. On August 23, 2007, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was sent into exile in 2000 following a military coup, could return to the country. “They [the Sharif brothers] have an inalienable right to come back and stay in the country,” then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had ruled.
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Army is a reality, says Sheikh Rasheed
Sheikh Rasheed also addressed the ceremony on the release of his book and shed light on his political journey. “There is no stain of corruption on my career. We are the voice of the poor and not hungry for the ministries,” he said.
“The country will develop under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. There is a great decline in our society which I have mentioned in my book. When I became very ill, even a person like me who was minister 14 times, could not get even an injection and the army provided it [injection] to me,” he added.
“The army is a reality, and whenever there is a difficult time in this country, the army stands like an organization and takes us out of a difficult time. I chose September 6 for my book launch to coincide with my Army and my mother’s anniversary,” he added.
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