Former PM Calls For West To Abandon Musharraf

The Pakistani press have been put on notice about subversive reports, so Dawn must be close to the line with this one:

Nawaz Sharif warns of Pakistan chaos, urges west to abandon Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov 7 (AP) Exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged the west Wednesday to abandon President General Pervez Musharraf.

Sharif told The Associated Press that Pakistan was heading deeper into chaos and Musharraf had outlived his usefulness in fighting terrorism.

Sharif also ruled out teaming up with Benazir Bhutto unless she cut off talks with Musharraf.

"One man is holding the entire nation hostage for his personal interests," Sharif said. "The political forces, the lawyers and civil community that believe in moderation and democracy, they are sidelined today. Who is going to get the benefit? It will be the radicals and extremists, they will thrive now," Sharif said in a telephone interview from Saudi Arabia.

He predicted that unless the state of emergency was reversed and Musharraf ousted, the country could be pitched toward "catastrophe."

Sharif told the AP that unless he was able to return to Pakistan before parliamentary elections the vote would be a "farce."

I agree with Nawaz Sharif about everything except that last line.

Read it again and replace "unless" with "even if".