Nawaz Sharif vows to end war on terror

Nawaz Sharif, who tipped to be Pakistan’s next prime minister, has said he would end his country’s involvement in the US-led war on terror if elected. Sharif told the (BBC) that the move was necessary for there to be peace in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world. Pakistan has been part of the US-led fight against Islamist militancy in the region since the 9/11 attacks. Voters in Pakistan are due to go to the polls on 11 May following an election run-up marred by violence. It is the first time in the country’s history that an elected government will hand over power to another elected government. Asked whether he would take Pakistan out of the war on terror, Sharif said: “Yes, we have to.” But he declined to say whether he would stop military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The business magnate, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister twice in the 1990s, said he wanted to work with other countries to find a lasting peace in the region.