ISLAMABAD: Chairman All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf here on Wednesday through his telephonic address to the journalists at his party secretariat said that he was all set to return back to the country but he had certain reservations regarding Supreme Court’s orders not to arrest him till he appears before the court.
Had he been arrested after appearing before the court, there was not use for his coming back to the country.
Musharraf said that the whole world knows I am not coward, but I am waiting for an appropriate time to return. He dismissed all speculations that he would never come back to the country and said that I would must instead return to the country for betterment of Pakistan and its people.
To a question about NAB’s probe into his assets, he said that ‘I live in a three bedroom apartment. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should and must investigate my assets and I would tell them everything’, he said. Before this telephonic interaction with journalists, Musharraf addressed to the APML’s national assembly candidates and also replied their questions who had come there to attend a meeting to discuss the issues regarding party’s election campaign. Addressing to the candidates Musharraf said that it is his utmost desire to return Pakistan and run election campaign of the party by myself. But under present circumstances, it is not wise to return, he also said. Supreme Court had directed authorities not to arrest me till I appear before the court. If I could be arrested later on, my return have had served no purpose. I am not a coward and everybody knows I earned medals for chivalry.’
To serve my party and people of Pakistan, I would return to the country at an appropriate time, he added.
APML President Dr Muhammad Amjad said that Pervez Musharraf was willing to return the country but Supreme Court in a hurried manner gave insufficient time under which arrangements for his travel, accommodation and security could not be made.
Dr Amjad alleged that the caretaker government also not wanted Musharraf’s return to the country as they blocked his CNIC and Passport when Supreme Court asked him to come back to the country.
He said that the APML would fully contest the upcoming elections from all over Pakistan. This party has just completed its 8 years. And during this time, party Chairman remained in Pakistan for 3 years only. For the last 5 years he is abroad. The time Musharraf spent in the country he was kept in sub-jail and his movements were restricted. Despite all these odds, APML is surviving and it will contest elections from all over the country.
Dr Amjad said that the politicians took Pakistan’s money abroad and purchased expensive properties there. General Musharraf served Pakistan army for 35 years and 10 years he remained in the government. He did not take any money from Pakistan to purchase properties abroad.
He said that the former PML-N government and the caretaker set-up has not put Nawaz Sharif’s name on ECL despite the fact that NAB requested the government. Whereas the time Musharraf spent in the country, his name was consistently on ECL. Dr Amjad said that this discriminatory attitude should not be adopted and everybody should be provided with equal opportunities. – NNI