Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that he was ousted from the government in 1999 by General Pervez Musharraf for opposing the Kargil conflict, as he thought that it was important to have good relations with India. The three-time Prime Minister questioned why he was ousted from the office of the Prime Minister prematurely. Speaking to party ticket aspirants for upcoming polls, Sharif sought an explanation for his dismissals in 1993 and 1999, highlighting that his dissent on the Kargil plan, proven right later, led to his ouster.
"I should be told why I was ousted in 1993 and 1999 when I opposed the Kargil plan, saying it should not happen. I was ousted by General Pervez Musharraf, and later what I said proved right," Sharif said. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader said that on all three occasions being the premier, he was delivering, but he was sent packing, and that he did not know why.
Stressing that Pakistan needed to improve relations with India and other neighboring countries, he said, "We will have to improve our relations with India, Afghanistan, and Iran. We need to make stronger relations with China." Discussing diplomatic achievements during his tenure, Sharif pointed out that two Indian prime ministers, Modi and Vajpayee, visited Pakistan. According to the report, he underscored the need to strengthen relations with India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China.
Expressing regret over Pakistan's economic lag behind its neighbors, in criticism of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by jailed former chairman Imran Khan, Sharif attributed economic challenges to Khan's administration and credited his brother Shahbaz Sharif's government for stabilizing the country. In April 2022, he also reiterated his demand for accountability of former military generals and judges for ruining the country by toppling his government in 2017, saying, "Those who brought this country to this level should be made accountable, as patriotic people can't do this to their country."
A month before his return to Pakistan after four years of self-imposed exile in the UK, Mr. Sharif had hinted at bringing former Army Chief General Kamar Javed Bajwa, former ISI head Lieutenant General FZ Hamid, and former Chief Justices of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa for the "crime" of toppling his government and causing economic disaster. Mr. Sharif is holding meetings daily to award party tickets for the February general elections next year.
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