Musharraf hints at return to politics

[Neo]

Musharraf hints at return to politics

LONDON (February 16 2010): Former president Pervez Musharraf hinted at a return to politics in his homeland on Monday, saying he would "do anything for Pakistan" but the voters there must decide. "I love my country and I would do anything for Pakistan," the retired general told a meeting at the Chatham House think-tank in London.

He added: "For Pakistan one would be prepared to do anything. However, it is for the people of Pakistan who need to decide." Musharraf joked that, "I'm a civilian now, I'm not a military man, I cannot take over anything," a reference to his seizure of power, while army chief, from elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999.

"I have to come through the political process, through the process of elections. But I think it's very good - it's very good because I think I will have that legitimacy which I never had," he said. Musharraf did not say if he has decided to return to Pakistan to face trial over his 2007 detention of judges as he attempted to cling to power.

Former president Musharraf said that efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan were being undermined by talk of withdrawal timetables for international forces. Speaking in London, Musharraf backed the current military assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, the US troop surge and political efforts for peace - but said world powers must make their commitment clear.

"We have sent 30,000 more troops, American troops, an operation is going on - very good," he said in a speech at the Chatham House think-tank. "But when we are talking of running away and going after two years and all that, if I was the Taliban commander, I would leave all the places and not offer any resistance."

The retired general added: "We must give them (Afghans) the hope and strength that we are going to stay behind them and support them - not that we'll be leaving in two years, and we'll leave you in the lurch." Musharraf warned that beating Islamists in Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan was vital in defeating extremists all over the world.

"The centre of gravity of all this is Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan. You want to defeat all of it? Defeat the centre of gravity," he said. Musharraf said this was harder then it would have been when international forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001, when the Taliban were weakened, because a policy of treating all Pashtuns as the enemy had left them "alienated".

"Unfortunately back in 2003, after 9/11, when I was going on the political path and having deals with the Pashtuns and weaning them away from the Taliban - all the mis-perceptions of me double-crossing, double-dealing with everyone in the West - whereas now they are doing exactly what I was doing in 2003," he said. He added: "When at that time we could have done the same thing from a position of strength, now we are doing this from a position of weakness."

[Lady Macbeth]

Thank you for posting Neo.....(Musharraf aavay he aavay)
I just worry about the CJ case, whether he will be exempted from the backwash of his mistake.

[Neo]

Pakistan's Musharraf to form political party: aide

Sajjad Tarakzai – Wed Apr 28, 2010

ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf is planning to launch a political party in a comeback bid two years after he was unseated in elections, officials said Wednesday.

Musharraf, who has been abroad since ending his nine-year stint in power, could face a criminal trial if he returns home and he is wanted for questioning by the government over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

An aide and election official confirmed to AFP that the retired general had applied to register a new political party with the electoral authorities in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

Mohammad Ali Saif, a former cabinet minister and now a legal adviser to Musharraf, said election authorities would hear the application on May 10.

"I have formally applied for a new political party called All Pakistan Muslim League.

"Pervez Musharraf is the head of this party and we will formally announce it after getting registered," he told AFP.

Saif, an unofficial spokesman for Musharraf, is active in organising the new political party and said the former president had told him in London that he intended to return to Pakistan and fight a criminal case.

Pakistan police registered a case against Musharraf last August, a precursor to potentially putting the ex-president on trial for detaining judges in 2007 as he attempted to cling onto power.

Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and sacked about 60 judges in November 2007 when the supreme court appeared poised to declare him ineligible to contest a presidential election while in military uniform.

"Musharraf will certainly come. He will face all the charges. These are politically motivated cases with no evidence," said Saif.

"I am in Punjab to establish our party structure here. We will establish it across Pakistan. I can see a bright future for Musharraf in Pakistan."

Sabir Hussain Gilani, a spokesman for the election commission of Pakistan, confirmed that the body had received the application.

"They want to register their party as All Pakistan Muslim League but there are two more applications wanting the same name," he said.

The chief election commissioner has issued notices to all the applicants and will decide on their application next month, the spokesman added.

Musharraf seized power from prime minister Nawaz Sharif, now Pakistan's opposition leader, in a bloodless military coup in 1999.

He was replaced as president in 2008 by Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower, after Zardari's party won elections.

Musharraf used a speech in London in February to hint at a return to politics but said it would be up to voters to decide. He did not say whether he had decided to return to Pakistan to face trial.

A damning UN report into the December 2007 killing of Bhutto -- while Musharraf was in power -- said her assassination could have been prevented and accused the authorities of deliberately failing to investigate the case properly.

A spokesman for the presidency has said authorities would try to question Musharraf over the findings.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100428...20100428101245

[Araz]

I think in the interest of justice this matter ought ot be cleared off prior to his returning. If it is cleared, then he can return with a clear slate. However the charges if proven could land him in hot waters
Araz

[Condor]

Musharraf has very ably managed to mutate himself into, 'Dhobi da Kutta'

Na Ghar ka na Ghat ka.

[Araz]

Originally Posted by Condor

Musharraf has very ably managed to mutate himself into, 'Dhobi da Kutta'

Na Ghar ka na Ghat ka.

i agree.he has closed quite a few doors for himself.I dont think the supreme court would let him get away so easily.Therefore i think he should fight hs case in court and if successfully exonerated, should form a ploitical party.However, his record at choosing political allies has been a bad one , and this will hamper his progress.
Araz

[Condor]

Musharraf seeking a comeback.

YouTube

YouTube

[Condor]

Somewhere from another fora where I was banned, I remember the Webby had a split avatar.
One side was Jinnah's image and the other side had Musharraf's and I thought to myself how appropriate to have the founder of Pakistan on one side and the person who broke Pakistan on the other.

[Condor]

Btw I was surprised to find myself unbanned on that site and I thank the WebMaster and also those responsible of that site for it.

I have found a good home here and I do intend on staying put and giving my best here - unless Neo bans me.

[Neo]

Originally Posted by Condor

Somewhere from another fora where I was banned, I remember the Webby had a split avatar.
One side was Jinnah's image and the other side had Musharraf's and I thought to myself how appropriate to have the founder of Pakistan on one side and the person who broke Pakistan on the other.

I don't understand...how did Musharraf break Pakistan?