Sharif's comments amount to treachery: Pak minister

Islamabad: Pakistan's defence minister has criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his alleged calls for civil disobedience and charging President Asif Ali Zardari with being a political "dictator", saying his comments amount to treachery towards the nation.

"The words uttered by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif fall well within the ambit of treason," Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told the media in Pakistan's Gujrat city on Saturday.

Nawaz Sharif had charged President Zardari with behaving like a "dictator" by imposing governor's rule in Punjab province. He also said that Zardari wants to drag the nation towards early elections.

The defence minister also ruled out the possibility of martial law and early elections amid the growing political crisis in the country following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz from contesting elections.

Miffed over the Supreme Court verdict barring him from contesting elections, Nawaz Sharif vowed not to accept the judgement and continue to fight against it with mass support.

He, however, denied making calls for a civil disobedience movement.

"I have not called for civil disobedience and no decision has yet been made on this," Nawaz Sharif told a radio programme broadcast by BBC's Urdu Service.

"I have merely said that the administration, the police should not follow any extra-legal orders."

Nawaz Sharif also accused President Zardari of offering him and his brother a "business deal" in return for letting the duo off in two cases against them.

Shahbaz's disqualification led to the fall of his PML-N-led government in Punjab and imposition of governor's rule there.

Nawaz Sharif charged Zardari with behaving like a "dictator" by imposing governor's rule in Punjab province.

The defence minister said the Pakistan People's Party would succeed in forming a government in Punjab province. "If not, we will sit in the opposition," he added.

"The governor rule will end as soon as the situation in Punjab is back to normal," he said.