Pak PM Nawaz Sharif took money from Bin Laden, claims book

The book states Sharif received funding from Laden to contest elections against Benazir Bhutto after the end of Zia regime

Pakistan President Nawaz Sharif
Press Trust of India Islamabad
Last Updated : Feb 29 2016 | 5:52 PM IST
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 Sharif's pledge of introducing an Islamic system attracted Khawaja as well as Osama.

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"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 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 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.

The book claims that Khawaja was killed by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban while he was on a peace mission in the restive tribal areas.

Osama was killed in a midnight raid by the US Navy SEALs in Pakistan's garrison town of Abbottabad in 2011.

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First Published: Feb 29 2016 | 5:50 PM IST

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