By IANS
Dubai : Rejecting President Pervez Musharraf’s advice to postpone her return to Pakistan, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said here Wednesday that nothing could stop her from reaching her country as scheduled at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Addressing a crowded press conference here with her two daughters on either side, Bhutto, who returns home after nine years of self exile on an Emirates flight, said: “I will be leaving for Pakistan 24 hours from now and will reach my country tomorrow.”
“I am shedding tears of blood looking at the situation in Pakistan… My heart is crying… We can save Pakistan only through the votes of the people,” she added on an emotive note, thanking the government and people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the hospitality they provided during her period in exile.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson faces possible arrest on her arrival as the Pakistan Supreme Court had asked the government not to grant amnesty to anyone under the Oct 5 National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
The former prime minister, who faces a plethora of criminal cases, was granted amnesty through the NRO but the apex court ruled that implementation of the ordinance be stayed until a final decision by the court.
Stating that she had dedicated her life to Pakistan, Bhutto said, “Elections are the only way out for Pakistan and I am determined to restore democracy in my country.
“The people of Pakistan want me back and I am going… Nothing can keep me away from my country.”
She said her return would usher in a new era. “We will start new cordial relations with the neighbouring countries based on friendship… we want to end discrimination in society, we want to end terrorism in the country.”
Referring to Musharraf’s advice to delay her return to Pakistan, Bhutto said: “It is a fact that the Pakistan government does not want me to return. But I have given my word to the people of Pakistan and I don’t go back on my word.”
Reacting to reports from Pakistan about the situation there on the eve of her return, she said, “I have heard this morning that over a million people from all over Pakistan are gathering in Karachi (her port of entry Thursday)… I pray to god to give me the strength to provide food, shelter and security to the people of Pakistan and restore democracy in my country.”
Earlier in an interview with ARY television from London, from where she flew to Dubai, she warned the government against blocking her party workers from reaching Karachi airport.
Bhutto said they were capable of dealing with “tyrant forces” and clarified that there was no deal with the government but she was talking to the military regime for betterment of the country and for complete democracy.
According to reports from Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of PPP workers from across Pakistan have started their journey towards Karachi.
“It’s going to be a million-plus gathering at the Karachi Airport,” PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said Tuesday.
In another interview to Sky News in London Tuesday evening, Bhutto had said: “I can feel the weight of expectations, responsibility and hope generated by my return among the people of Pakistan.”
“Before my decision to return, no one was standing up against extremists. They thought they could do anything they wanted. Now these forces see an obstacle in me. I do feel that the forthcoming elections will determine whether Pakistan will survive as a modern nation or if extremists will take over”.
Huge containers are reportedly being placed on all roads leading to Karachi airport to block them. A Sindh government spokesperson said they were just taking security measures.
“We have banned carrying any firearms and have to take security measures for passengers and citizens,” he said.
Bhutto has been in power-sharing talks with Musharraf for the last couple of months. The first confidence building measure was taken when Musharraf issued the NRO on Oct 5. Bhutto provided legitimacy to his Oct 6 re-election by not asking her PPP members to resign from parliament – like the rest of the opposition did.