Pakistan's main opposition party fears life attempts on Sharifs

The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) has serious fears of a possible assassination attempt on the Sharif brothers, with a spokesman for the party warning President Asif Zardari will be held accountable for any harm to the two leaders.

Although, the N-League is hesitant to publicly name Asif Zardari for allegedly being after the Sharifs, its key leaders were privately expressing serious apprehensions that the lives of their top leaders were seriously threatened by the president.

President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, however, said the PML-N and its top leadership might be pointing its finger at Zardari for political gains. He denied having any knowledge of threats to Nawaz Sharif or his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif.

In the prevailing situation, Babar insisted, the government was mindful of its responsibility for the protection of all the political leaders. The spokesman added he even discussed the issue with Interior Adviser Rehman Malik, who assured him that the government was taking care of the security concerns and threats to the lives of different people.

As has already been claimed by Hamid Mir, senior journalist and Geo’s anchorperson, that Nawaz Sharif has shared his fears with the party leaders and others, including some media professionals. He has also referred to the arrival of almost 100 hardened criminals associated with Rehman Dakait in Lahore from Karachi.

PML-N sources claimed everyone knew Rehman Dakait’s association with some highly influential political figures. It was also learnt that the top leadership of the party had been warned by well-informed diplomatic circles in Islamabad of serious security threats to the lives of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.

Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also told the media on Tuesday that the Sharifs faced a security threat from the present rulers and security agencies. But he did not name the ‘rulers’. However, Hamid Mir quoted Nawaz Sharif as saying President Zardari might have become his enemy.

Recent background interaction of this correspondent with senior PML-N leaders reveals the party has serious fears about the security of the Sharif brothers in general and Nawaz Sharif in particular. Independent sources, too, share the apprehensions.

A non-PPP politician, who recently met President Zardari, told a select audience, including this correspondent and Abdul Rauf, the host of Geo’s 50 Minutes, that Zardari had shown him his tongue with scars and said he had not forgotten what was done to him in jail.

PML-N spokesman Pervez Rashid, when contacted by The News, said the party was getting reports about life threats to Nawaz and Shahbaz. He warned if any harm was done to its leaders, the PML-N would name President Asif Ali Zardari for this.