INTERVIEW: NAWAZ SHARIF
"There Is No Warmth Now" Despite the growing pressure, Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, 48, appeared relaxed when he spoke to Associate Editor Harinder Baweja at his residence in Islamabad
last week. Excerpts:
What were the domestic compulsions that finally made
you press the nuclear button?
Pressures were mounting by the hour and by the minute after the Indian detonations.
Politicians in Pakistan also started saying we should give India a matching response
without any further loss of time. There is no doubt that there was immense international
pressure not to test but the balance of power in the region had been violently tilted. I
wanted to test the world response before testing our nuclear capabilities. I was not keen
on giving a tit-for-tat response. Pakistan has had the capability for the past 15 to 20
years but I never felt the need to test it unless India again tested it after 24 years.
Whatever we did was dictated by our national interests which no sovereign country can
compromise. Finally, I think we took the right decision.
Was it because of national security or national
pride?
It was both and, if I may add, in equal measure.
What was your first reaction when you heard of the
Indian tests?
I thought India had made a big mistake. And then when the tests were followed by
statements from India that it would use the nuclear bomb if necessary, I felt personally
let down. I felt that my efforts to resolve our outstanding issues peacefully were
responded to through nuclear detonations. I had excellent relations with Mr Gujral and
he's a man whom I respect very much. He too was keen on finding peaceful solutions. The
present Indian leadership should not have responded through nuclear tests and nuclear
blackmail by making provocative statements.
Did you really fear that India would cross the Line
of Control into POK?
It hasn't happened and it will not be allowed. But the statements were bad.
Do you think the rapport and cordiality have changed
dramatically?
There is no warmth now. I did not change my policy at all after Mr Gujral left. I
thought we will still sit down and talk and break the deadlock that arose after India
backtracked on the issue of setting up a working group on Kashmir. I am disappointed with
the new Government's response because the statements made by Mr Advani and other ministers
were totally uncalled for. The statements in fact spoiled the atmosphere. Had India said
after its tests that it had done what it had to do and now let's talk, may be things would
have stopped there.
In your congratulatory letter to Mr Vajpayee, you
offered to go an extra mile but within a week of that the Ghauri missile was tested.
Ghauri has nothing to do with this. We never said we will do this and we will do
that. India had tested 16 missiles by then. We did not even respond once.
What is your response to Mr Vajpayee's offer of
holding talks on a "no-first-use" pact?
I have already categorically stated that Pakistan would like to find peaceful
resolutions to all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. Kashmir is a flash point. It is
the core issue. Only a solution to that can lead to permanent peace in South Asia. The
Indian leadership must understand that it is Kashmir which needs to be addressed first.
Are you willing to talk about trade first, and
Kashmir later?
Trade without trust means nothing. It will be a very temporary affair. If you want
to make it permanent, we have to address the root cause first and Kashmir remains the root
cause.
Mr Vajpayee too has offered talks. Technically,
Pakistan has to respond to the Dhaka proposals. So the ball is in your court.
I have no hang-ups about who acts first. There is no question of izzat in this. We
both have to move and if India wants Pakistan to act first, we'll act first, so what?
Don't you think you lost the opportunity of gaining
moral high ground by testing?
We had the moral high ground and we still have the moral high ground because we
didn't start it. India started it and the world knows that we were provoked and pressured.
You have now put the economic noose around your neck.
We have to prepare the nation. It's a golden chance to help Pakistan shift from
dependency to self-reliance. India must be regretting why it lost the opportunity to do
the same. I will set a personal example by tightening my own belt. Government expenditure
has been cut by half. It will be difficult but I expected it to be difficult. Sanctions
are not new to us. I have prepared myself and it's the responsibility of the leadership to
prepare the nation.
The Pakistan bomb is being described as the Islamic
bomb and there are serious reservations that the technology will be transferred to Islamic
nations, including Iran.
Do bombs have religion? Or caste, creed and colour? We have never spoken of a
"Hindu" bomb. Pakistan is a very responsible nation. It has never passed on the
technology -- we've had the capability, as you know, for the past so many years. If we had
to do it, we would have done it 10 years ago.
Will you weaponise this capability?
If we can solve the core issue, there will be no need for weaponisation or
deployment. I don't believe in an arms race. The only kind of race I want is the economic
and trade race. Millions of people on both sides are living under the poverty line. Are we
being fair to these people by diverting our funds to nuclear projects? |
