Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Friday budged from his stance of unilateral troops' withdrawal from Siachen. The clarification came during a news conference by Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of former chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum's (Retd) joining of PML-N.
When asked whether the party still stand by his proposal of unilateral troops' withdrawal, Nawaz Sharif asked Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to respond the query who said the PML-N chief was misquoted by a section of the media suggesting unilateral withdrawal of troops from Siachen by Pakistan.
"He (Nawaz) suggested Pakistan should take the lead in negotiating with India on Siachen to prepare grounds for mutual redeployment of troops", Nisar clarified. Nawaz was earlier reported by media suggesting that Pakistan should consider unilateral troops withdrawal from Siachen following the deadliest avalanche that buried 140 people including 129 soldiers. Responding to another query, Nawaz Sharif termed Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's statement on Siachen issue as positive.
The PML-N chief said that past mistakes of both Pakistan and India and attitude towards each other were impeding dialogue over Siachan. He further said that presenting defence budget in the parliament was part of Charter of Democracy (CoD) and he would continue supporting the move.
About the government's bad governance, he said that not only the PPP but all its other allies were equally responsible for the current national state of affairs. Responding to another query about unification of the Muslim League, he said that he had a list in his mind of those who should not join his party. About the upcoming budget, the PML-N chief said that his party was not yet consulted by the government on the budget.
Meanwhile, reacting to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's statement that he didn't go to Siachan due to resource constraints, Chaudhry Nisar said, "no doubt Imran Khan is a 'poor man' and cannot afford a visit to Giyari for expressing solidarity with the soldiers trapped under a gigantic avalanche...rather he can afford to visit London and US, and can use private jets, owned by several members of his party, for foreign and domestic visits."
Earlier, Nawaz welcomed General Qayyum in the party and defended his induction saying, "every General is not like Parvez Musharraf." Rather, he expressed the desire that people like him (Qayyum) should join his party. Speaking on the occasion, Qayyum said that PML-N's vision and its leadership coulds steer the country out of the present crises. He added that he would contribute to the party being an ordinary worker.
Earlier in the day, PML-N chief also distributed laptops among students selected on merit from all over the country at a function here at Convention Center. Addressing the students, he announced that next year 300,000 computers would be distributed among the talented students costing Rs 11 billion. He announced that if voted to power‚ he would arrange jobs for the jobless following completion of their education.