By DPA
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Monday that the country was on the road to democracy, as key opposition leaders prepared to meet to discuss boycotting upcoming elections to protest the current state of emergency.
Musharraf, who met visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul, urged opposition leaders to put Pakistan’s interests above short-term political gains – a clear reference to their threats to boycott the Jan 8 parliamentary polls.
“We are heading towards a democratic transition,” Musharraf said during a joint press conference with Gul, repeatedly calling the Turkish leader “brother.”
Pakistan has been in crisis since Musharraf declared a state of emergency Nov 3, suspending the constitution and arresting thousands of political opponents and activists, including Supreme Court judges who he feared were about to nullify his October re-election.
The crisis has abated slightly since Musharraf met demands of his Western allies and domestic opponents by resigning last week as army chief and setting an election date. But the constitution remains frozen, public rallies are banned and hundreds of people are still in jail.
Gul was scheduled Monday to meet opposition leaders Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif separately. Sharif has been pushing for a boycott by more than 30 opposition parties to further isolate Musharraf.
Musharraf referred to Gul’s meetings as “positive,” saying the opposition leaders “have to keep Pakistan’s interests foremost. I have given a slogan to the nation, that is: ‘Pakistan first.’ That is the message these political leaders ought to take home.”
Gul, who is on an official visit to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Pakistan, said Pakistan’s move back towards democracy was good but that its shaky domestic situation should be taken into consideration by foreign governments which have been critical of Musharraf’s recent moves.
“We focus on the big picture,” Gul said. “When you focus on the big picture, it will be appreciated.”
The US and Britain see Musharraf as a crucial ally in fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants who have regrouped along Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan, and have pressed him to return toward democracy to ensure domestic stability.
Sharif was scheduled to meet with Bhutto Monday night to persuade her Pakistan Peoples Party to join an election boycott, but analysts said it was unlikely given that both leaders’ parties have already begun campaigning for the polls.