Mr. Musharraf said he will return to Pakistan and create a new political party before the next elections in 2013. He also defended his record as president and promised to answer any allegations against him.
The spineless Gilani government as well as all shades of politicians, who usually are seen exchanging barbs and engaged in mudslinging, have much to the surprise of the political observers shown an unusual unity and solidarity against this announcement from Musharraf of his home coming, but even after this push-button gang up, they appear not sure of braving this impending danger on their own, instead totally banking on the powerful Raiwind judiciary to take care of Musharraf and making history repeat at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that if former president Pervez Musharraf returns to the country he will be received by the chief justice because a lot of cases have been lodged against him.
Talking to journalists here on Monday after meeting PML-N leader Javed Hashmi and inquiring after his health, he said political forces would not allow derailing of democracy. He said both PPP and PML-N had offered a lot of sacrifices for democracy. “We are in favour of democracy and Nawaz Sharif also supports democracy.” The prime minister said there was no threat to democracy in the presence of a powerful constitution.
Earlier, top political parties on Saturday had ridiculed former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's claim of a return to politics, saying there is no room for him in the country's political arena.
“The former president is a coward man and he will not return to Pakistan,” a leader of Pakistan's largest Islamic party Jamat-i-Islami, Liaqat Baloch consoling himself and his supporters said. “The entire country is engulfed in a serious crisis because of the culture that Musharraf introduced in Pakistan. “Neither does he enjoy public support nor will he find courage to return to Pakistan,” Baloch added.
The 67-year-old Musharraf said he was not scared of the threat of legal action against him and insisted that he had to try to lift Pakistan out of its “pathetic situation”.
“The brave former army commando preferred to run away instead of facing courts of law in Pakistan,” Siddiqul Farooque, spokesman for Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), told.
“He (Musharraf) lives in fool's paradise if he thinks he will again become Pakistan's president,” Farooque said, referring to his current status as “hibernation”. He said: “Musharraf must remember that whenever he gets out of this hibernation and comes back to Pakistan, he will have to face the courts.”
But Musharraf said possible legal cases against him were not putting him off a swift return. However, he admitted his popularity had waned, but said it was still strong among the majority of Pakistanis who do not vote.
“Two hundred per cent I will participate in the next election. Standing for myself, standing for a party that I'll create,” Musharraf said Friday in London, where he lives in exile.
“I do intend creating a new party because I think the time has come in Pakistan when we need to introduce a new political culture: a culture which can take Pakistan forward on a correct democratic path, not on an artificial, make-believe democratic path.
“I have fought wars, I have faced dangers and I'm a lucky man. I'll try my luck again and I'm not scared of that,” he said.
A former minister in his government welcomed the announcement--“Musharraf's return to politics is the need of the hour and only he can safeguard Pakistan and its interests,” Dr Sher Afgan Niazi said, adding that the former president had the “vision and wisdom” to save the country. “He (Musharraf) is an asset for this country, who did a great job by protecting vital national interests and strengthening economy and social sector during his tenure.”
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