PML-N proposes body to analyse Musharraf's biography

20 Oct, 2006

The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on Thursday proposed that a neutral parliamentary committee should be constituted for a threadbare analysis of Musharraf's biography: "In the Line of Fire".
Addressing a press conference at the party's central secretariat, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq said almost 98 percent of the Musharraf's assertions in his book had been rejected by quarters concerned; hence, there should be an independent parliamentary committee to judge veracity of comments made in it.
He lamented exposure of important national secrets in the controversial book, which puts Pakistan's long-term security in jeopardy as the President himself confessed that Pakistan was involved in proliferation of nuclear centrifuges to Libya, Iran and North Korea despite the fact that these countries rejected such allegations earlier.
"Pakistan's internal and strategic secrets were barely exposed due to the Musharraf's biography and it will have dangerous long-term impact on the national sovereignty and security," he emphasised.
About the Kargil operation, he was of the view almost all departments concerned, including foreign, defence and Kashmir affairs ministries were not aware of the Kargil misadventure and even Pakistan Airforce and Navy were kept in the dark on the issue. He rejected Musharraf's statement in which he favoured continuation of Kargil operation against Mian Nawaz Sharif's stand of holding a cease-fire.
He said, although, he once proposed continuation of the military operation on May 27, 1999, as he wanted to have an equivalent loss and causalities of the Indian forces, but later, in July, the situation totally changed and he rejected prolonging the operation keeping in view poor strategic planning of the Pakistan Army led by General Musharraf.
He further said at the presentation given to Nawaz Sharif in July, General Musharraf was much disappointed and upset and General Majeed Malik, who was then the minister for Kashmir affairs, proposed a cease-fire, as Pakistan was losing in the battlefield due to poor planning. Quoting the United States former army chief General Zeni, Raja said Nawaz Sharif was avoiding a meeting with him during the Kargil war because he realised that the US General would motivate him for a cease-fire, but General Musharraf arranged a meeting with Nawaz Sharif.

Read Comments