ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif has said that he does not consider President Asif Ali Zardari his rival and that it is not odd to hold meetings with political leaders of all parties.

In an exclusive interview to Geo News anchormen Hamid Mir and Sohail Warraich on Tuesday, he said he would advise President Zardari that time was running out to save democracy. He said he has always talked with the PPP co-chairman in the interest of Pakistan.

He said he had his own political family, which was looted by different governments, adding his father had set up a factory in Lahore in 1973, which was confiscated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, while another factory was seized earlier in East Pakistan.

“My family’s remaining factories and properties were seized in the government of Pervez Musharraf, who trapped me in false cases,” the former premier added.

He said he wanted to keep politics separate from his industry and business. However, he said that he had paid an amount of Rs6 billion in the head of taxes. In reply to a question, he said Pervez Musharraf came in power illegally.

“I neither support mid-term elections nor am I in favour of minus-one or minus-two formulas,” the PML-N chief added. He said the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan were dearer to him than becoming the prime minister for the third time.

He said the implementation of the Charter of Democracy would have made the position of President Zardari more effective, adding it would also have been better not to table the NRO in parliament.

“President Zardari enjoys immunity under the Constitution and the courts will reach a verdict in the backdrop of this fact,” Nawaz added. The former premier said Saudi Arabia was a close friend of Pakistan and both countries enjoyed brotherly relations therefore it would not be suitable to drag Saudi Arabia into Pakistani politics.

Nawaz Sharif said terrorism had always flourished in martial law regimes, adding the door of martial law would have to be closed to uproot terrorism.

He said these were consistent democratic regimes in India that had blocked the way to terrorism there. He said the meeting of Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan with the army chief was not something unique, adding such meetings might help deal with the security situation. He said the people had voted for a change but that was yet to come.

Replying to a question, he said in his meeting with President Zardari he had talked about Musharraf’s trail, and the issue of Kerry-Lugar Bill did not come under discussion.

Source: http://jang.com.pk/jang/nov2009-daily/18-11-2009/main.htm and http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=25628