Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif has broken a two-year silence to condemn what he called a parallel military government which flouts democracy to choose the country's leaders.
In his first speech since he was jailed on corruption charges, the three-time premier railed against a “state above a state” which he alleged had brought Imran Khan to power in a rigged 2018 election.
Sharif, speaking from London, put his Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party on a collision course with the powerful security establishment after saying it was the real enemy of the opposition, not Mr Khan.
His comments represented an unusually outspoken attack on the largely untouchable generals who have run the country directly or indirectly for much of its history.
“Our fight is not with Imran Khan, but those who imposed him on us,” Sharif told a meeting of 13 opposition parties in Islamabad. “We are against those who brought him.”
Sharif was removed from office over corruption allegations in 2017 and his party defeated the following year in a bitter election which saw Mr Khan sweep to power on an anti-graft platform.
Sharif was sentenced to a seven-year prison term but has been in effective exile since November last year after being granted permission to fly to London for medical treatment.
The PML-N claim Sharif was dethroned and locked up as part of a military witch hunt against him for trying to rein in its power. The army denies meddling in politics.
He told the gathering of parties that former military dictators had escaped punishment for breaking the constitution, while former civilian leaders were being hunted through the courts.
“This country has continuously been deprived of a democratic system for years. Dictators are never punished even by courts.”
He went on: “Now it is not a state within a state, but the situation has gone to a level where a state has become above the state. A parallel government is run against elected regimes. And this is the root cause of our problems.”
Pakistan's opposition has been in disarray since Mr Khan took power. Senior leaders have been harried by corruption investigations and have been unable to join forces. Sunday's gathering marked an attempt to show a united front and outline a strategy to defeat Mr Khan.
Government officials had warned broadcasters not to show Sharif's speech on Sunday, saying it was illegal to give a platform to a convicted criminal and absconder. Sharif was given permission to visit London for only four weeks of treatment but refuses to return.
Senior politicians from Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party dismissed the opposition bloc as “losers”.
Senator Shibli Faraz, the information minister, called the gathering a “flimsy attempt” by the opposition to try to exert pressure so the government would back off on corruption investigations.
“The nation has witnessed that the opposition has used politics for personal gains and used parliament to protect their personal empire," he said. "Prime Minister Imran Khan will never compromise his commitment on corruption.”
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
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Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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Mar 10: Norwich(A)
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Mar 16: Lille(A)
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Apr 2: Brentford(H)
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Transmission: eight-speed auto
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