I am ready to bury the past with Bhutto: Sharif

Former Premier Nawaz Sharif has said he was ready to 'bury the past' with his arch rival and another ex-premier Benazir Bhutto and that they would consider boycotting the January 6 Parliamentary elections if there was a consensus.

Voicing his readiness to work with Bhutto in the 'war against dictatorship,' Sharif said they were apprehensive about the fairness of elections.

'We have to rise above personal interests. The country is in danger. I am ready to bury the past (with Bhutto). We have to work for national interest,' Sharif told NDTV from Lahore.

The two-time former premier, who returned home on Sunday after a seven-year exile, said it was a fact that Musharraf tried to stop him from returning to Pakistan  since his presence will put the General's plans in jeopardy.

To a question, the PML-N leader said he had a lot of hope in India and Pakistan improving their bilateral relations.
 
'The two countries should sink their differences and make a new beginning. It is possible and we should make it possible,' he said.

Sharif rejected speculation that there is some 'covert' peace moves between him and Musharraf.

'I reject these speculation because Musharraf went to Saudi Arabia to request the King of Saudi Arabia not to allow me to come back to Pakistan till the elections but I think the King said it very clearly that Mr Nawaz Sharif has a role in Pakistan and he cannot be denied his role and that he has to go back to Pakistan to fulfill the aspirations of the people,' he said.

Sharif made it clear that he is not a candidate for Prime Ministership under Musharraf as a President.

'I will not serve as prime minister with Musharraf as President. Benazir Bhutto will not accept it either,' he said.

Saying that the situation in Pakistan was 'very bad' and that it cannot be described in words Sharif said Musharraf wanted to have a meeting with him after he was booted out of the country within hours after arrival from London in September.

Sharif said he rejected the proposal since 'any dialogue with him will not produce anything.'

Sharif said both he and Bhutto were in touch with each other four-five times in the last 10 days to work on ways to restore democracy in Pakistan.

Either there should be a total boycott of elections by all parties unanimously to make it effective or there should be a strong contest that will force Musharraf to reverse all steps he has taken after imposing Emergency on November 3, he added.

He regretted that the rules of the game have been set to favour the 'King's (Musharraf) party' and cited how the Election Commission was 'handpicked' by the President. Sharif said Pakistan was not meant to be ruled by military dictatorship.