Pak opposition chief warns of dangerous chaos
Sunday, 1 March 2009
LAHORE, Feb 28 (AP): With his supporters rioting for a third day, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif blamed Pakistan's government Friday for the political turmoil set off by a court order barring him from elected office - unrest that he warned could be exploited by Islamic extremists.
Giving his first interview since the ruling last Wednesday, Sharif accused President Asif Ali Zardari of "declaring martial law on democracy," a charge echoing the complaints that forced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to give up the presidency last year.
Sharif's interview with the news agency came amid a surge of political squabbling that is sure to distract the government of this nuclear-armed country from grappling with the Taliban and al-Qaida threat spreading from the tribal areas along the frontier with Afghanistan.
Giving his first interview since the ruling last Wednesday, Sharif accused President Asif Ali Zardari of "declaring martial law on democracy," a charge echoing the complaints that forced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to give up the presidency last year.
Sharif's interview with the news agency came amid a surge of political squabbling that is sure to distract the government of this nuclear-armed country from grappling with the Taliban and al-Qaida threat spreading from the tribal areas along the frontier with Afghanistan.