‘US president saved Nawaz Sharif from getting death penalty’

Author and ex-head of National Commission for Human Development Dr Naseem Ashraf has claimed that United States (US) President Bill Clinton saved former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif from death penalty during military ruler Pervez Mushrraf’s regime.

In his upcoming book ‘Ring Side’, Dr Ashraf claimed that the US State Department had advised President Clinton against visiting Pakistan, however, he decided to visit nonetheless to prevent the execution of the ousted premier.

On his short trip, the former US president held a secret meeting with then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Irshad Hassan Khan for assurance that Nawaz would not be hanged, Dr Ashraf claimed in the book published in Urdu under the title ‘Maidan-e-Amal’.

He revealed that Clinton was seen heading to the restroom during a luncheon hosted by Musharraf, and moments later, ex-CJP Irshad also went in. The meeting, he added, lasted for about five minutes during which President Clinton asked the then-CJP whether Nawaz would be sentenced to death.

To this, Justice Hassan assured him that it would not happen, Dr Ashraf wrote.

He said that Pakistanis living in the US were advocates of democracy and patriotic citizens who supported Pakistan during challenging times. This is why, Dr Ashraf wrote, when Nawaz was ousted, protests were held for his reinstatement, advertisements were placed in newspapers and letters were written to members of Congress and the US president, which eventually prompted Clinton’s visit.

On Pakistan-US relations, Dr Ashraf said that the events of September 11 shook the US, which is why it targeted Afghanistan. 

Nonetheless, he acknowledged that President Musharraf assured President George W Bush of full cooperation, accepting five out of seven demands. Had Pakistan not complied, it would have faced economic ruin, detrimental to national security.

In his book, he also wrote about former PM Imran Khan’s 2019 visit to the US, terming it “successful”. He said it strengthened Pakistan-US relations. 

Dr Ashraf also recounted a meeting he had with former Indian PM Manmohan Singh during General Musharraf’s visit to India, during which Singh confirmed that he had sent two tons of gold to the Bank of England to secure a loan, as he was not in favour of going to the IMF. From the loan obtained from the Bank of England, Dr Singh initiated a new economic policy in India, he wrote. 

During his stint as the chief of the National Commission for Human Development, Dr Ashraf said he faced numerous challenges, even contemplating resignation at one point. The programme’s success can be gauged by the fact that Tony Blair’s son, Nicholas Blair, came to Pakistan specifically for an internship.