Pakistani book claims PM Nawaz Sharif ‘took money’ from Bin Laden

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif received money from Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden to contest elections against Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People’s Party in 1990, a new book has claimed.

The book titled Khalid Khawaja: Shaheed-i-Aman by Shamama Khalid, the wife of former ISI operative Khalid Khawaja, claims that Mr Sharif’s pledge of introducing an Islamic system attracted Khawaja as well as Osama.

“Chief of PML-N Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif received funding from Osama Bin Laden, founder of Al Qaeda, to contest elections against Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after the end of Zia regime,” the book states.

But even though Osama funded Mr Sharif heavily, the latter backtracked from all his promises after coming into power, the Dawn reported Monday.

The book also carries a note from former Inter-Services Intelligence director-general, retired Lt-Gen. Hamid Gul, which claims that Khawaja was very close to Mr Sharif for some time. According to the book, Palestinian Sunni Abdullah Azzam, who is also known as the “father of global jihad” and Osama’s mentor, introduced Khawaja to the Al Qaeda head honcho.