By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS
Islamabad : Uncertainty prevails over the return of exiled former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto as the government has asked her to postpone her arrival.
“Yes, we have asked the PPP to postpone the arrival plan and delay it until the Supreme Court takes a final decision on the presidential elections,” Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem told IANS.
The PPP, however, said there would be no change in Bhutto plans.
“There is absolutely no change and we are planning to giver her a grand reception,” party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Bhutto who lives in exile in Dubai and London since April 1999, has announced she would return to Pakistan on Oct 18.
Her party is also negotiating a power-sharing deal with the government. As a confidence building measure, the PPP extended its undeclared support for the re-election of President Pervez Musharraf for another five-year term.
Musharraf was unofficially declared the winner of the Oct 6 presidential election but the Supreme Court has barred the notification of the result till it decides on a challenge to his candidature.
The court will take up the petitions Oct 17, a day before Bhutto’s scheduled return.
On Wednesday, Musharraf suggested that Bhutto return only after the court verdict.
“I would say that she should come back after the court decision…let’s first deal with these issues,” Musharraf had said.
“We have formally requested Benazir Bhutto to delay her return,” Minister Azeem said Thursday.
According to him, the request had not been made on any pressure from a third country but because of Pakistan’s internal situation.
After the government made its request, Bhutto summoned her close party aides to Dubai, where she lives with her three children and ailing mother, former Pakistani first lady Nusrat Bhutto.
“We are going to Dubai for consultations with the party chief but there is no change in her return plans,” PPP leader Safdar Abbasi said.
Bhutto has announced she would land at Karachi, which is close to her hometown of Larkana in Sindh province.
A PPP leader said that if Bhutto delayed her arrival, it would be disastrous for the party as her followers are already disturbed over her deal with the military regime.
Bhutto has ensured that the government drops the corruption cases against her as part of the power sharing formula. This has been achieved through the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) issued Oct 5 that grants political leaders amnesty from all corruption and criminal charges.
The two-time prime minister faces seven corruption cases in Pakistan. Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against her in two of the cases and the government has now moved to withdraw the cases.
However, the NRO has been challenged in the Supreme Court and hearings on this are likely to be held next week after the Eid holidays.