'ISI chief advised Musharraf to drop Pak return plan during secret meeting in Dubai'

Dubai, Jan 24 (ANI): Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha held a secret meeting with former Pakistan President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf in Dubai, advising him not to visit Islamabad for security reasons, sources have claimed.

"General Pasha, who has remained very close to the former president, held a meeting with him (Musharraf) in Dubai and advised him not to return to the country as the situation is not conducive for his return," The Dawn quoted an insider, as saying.

On Monday, the Senate also passed a resolution demanding the arrest of the former military ruler on his return. Interior Minister Rehman Malik also announced that Musharraf would be arrested the day he landed in Pakistan.

The sources claim that Pasha strictly advised Musharraf not to return.

However, it was not verified whether the meeting was held on the directions of the ruling Pakistan People's Party government or if it was a private meeting.

The sources, however, insist that it was a private meeting between the two.

They also claim that Pasha enjoys a long history of relations with the former dictator. In 2008, during the last year of Musharraf as president, Pasha was appointed to the key position of Director General (DG) of Military Operations Directorate. Later Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani promoted him to a Lt Gen and appointed him the chief of the ISI.

This is contradictory to yesterday's reports, which claimed that Musharraf had finally managed to get the backing of his former military colleagues for his safe return to the country, at a time when many in his own party the 'All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)' raised doubts over his desired move.

The Pakistan First Group (PFG), whose formation was announced at the weekend by retired military personnel, had reportedly urged the government to provide Musharraf with the protocol of a former head of state.

A former Director-General of Pakistan's Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) and aide to former military ruler, Major General (retd) Rashid Qureshi, said that the PFG supported Musharraf's return plans.

"The other day I talked to the former president, who has yet to change his plans to return by the end of the month. But we will meet in Dubai on Jan 25 to take a final decision in this regard," he said.

"The PFG unanimously supports the former president's plans to return to the country and take part in elections. They (PFG members) also resolved to stand against all those who are involved in casting aspersions on armed forces, especially the ISI," Qureshi added. (ANI)