Pakistan-Politics
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday angrily reacted to remarks from a top US diplomat that President Musharraf is not an issue.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said Wednesday Pakistan should focus more on security problems, rising food costs and power shortages, and less on President Pervez Musharraf.

"Frankly, President Musharraf is not the issue right now," Boucher told a news conference after meeting Musharraf and other Pakistani leaders in his 3-day trip.

"Pakistan will take decisions on its own. What we will do with Musharraf is our internal matter. There is no need of any foreign advice," Sharif told reporters at Islamabad air port.

Sharif, also the leader of PML-N, criticized operation in the tribal region and said that the government had not taken allies into confidence before the operation.

Pakistani forces launched operation in Khyber tribal agency last week against three militant groups and have destroyed their centers and also arrested over 80 of their members.

Boucher Wednesday welcomed the operation and claimed that the militants had terrified the people and there was also a threat to the city of Peshawar from the militants.

Sharif said that the fresh operation in the tribal region is against the understanding of the new coalition and said the ruling Peoples Party should not take important decisions without consulting allies.