Mushahid Hussain Syed advises Sharif to adopt ‘forward-looking approach’

Abdullah Jan

Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Senator Mushahid Hussain this week advised party supremo Nawaz Sharif to exhibit “generosity” and pursue a “forward-looking approach” of “forgive, forget and move on” regarding accountability of former army generals.

After four years in London, Nawaz is set to return to Pakistan on October 21. With a month left before his arrival, the PML-N supremo does not seem in any mood to abandon his long-standing demand for the ‘strict accountability’ of people allegedly involvement in a ‘conspiracy’ to oust him from power in 2017.

The abrupt change in Nawaz’s stance towards former army generals and retired judges is causing unease among party ranks, with many leaders fearing that such a bold engagement could invite the wrath of the establishment.

Questioned about the matter today during an interview, Hussain recalled that the late Nelson Mandela had told him that the biggest quality of a statesman was generosity. He said Hazrat Ali (AS) had also espoused generosity when it came to justice and revenge.

“Forgive, forget [and] move on. There should be a forward-looking approach. If you get stuck in the past, yes there should be accountability, Nawaz’s anger is justified,” the senator said.

However, he advised the PML-N chief against opting for what was a “tried, tested and failed formula”.