By Awais Saleem, IANS,
Islamabad: The announcement of the launch of a political party by former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf in London has drawn a hostile response back home.
Pakistan Muslim League(N) information secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that “Musharraf was ousted because he did not enjoy support of the masses”. “He was a dictator who sneaked into power through a military coup and will have to face charges against him on return,” said Iqbal, whose party’s government was toppled as a result of the coup in October 1999.
Musharraf, during his launch speech Friday, had admitted that mistakes were committed during his regime. He had also termed promulgation of national reconciliation ordinance, which paved the way for return of exiled leader Benazir Bhutto to Pakistan, as one of those wrong moves that turned the tide against him.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, however, dismissed the claim of Musharraf. “There was no such deal between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto,” he stressed adding that the “former president is lying”. “It has to be seen how he copes with the pending cases in case he decides to return,” he said.
A.K. Dogar, an eminent lawyer, submitted a fresh petition against Musharraf Saturday in the Supreme Court. He prayed for “registration of a treason case against Musharraf for suspending the constitution twice”.
There are several charges against Musharraf that include killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti during a military operation in 2006, imposition of emergency and violation of constitution.
After ruling the country for almost nine years, Musharraf resigned as president in 2008 when calls for his impeachment grew louder following the general elections. He has lived in self-imposed exile, shuttling between Britain, the US and Dubai, for more than two years now.
(Awais Saleem can be contacted at [email protected])