Musharraf approaching international powers to fob off Pak govt 'witch hunt'

Islamabad, April 15(ANI): Former Pakistan President and All Pakistan Muslim League chief Pervez Musharraf wants the international guarantors of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to declare it null and void, as APML leaders say the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is no more adhering to the then agreement between them.

"The understanding between Pervez Musharraf and the PPP leadership on the promulgation of the NRO also entailed that after coming into power, the PPP would neither hold any sort of trial of Musharraf nor would his steps be criticised," The News quoted an APML source, as saying.

When contacted, APML Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry confirmed that Musharraf was now not bound to adhere to the understanding that he had reached with the PPP leadership before the promulgation of the NRO.

"As that understanding is now not being adhered to by the PPP leadership, the former president will also break all promises of the past, because the way he is being implicated in the Benazir Bhutto murder case is negation of all the commitments made at the time of promulgating the NRO," he said.

Chaudhry also said that Musharraf would formally start addressing gatherings in Pakistan through videoconferencing from Dubai from April 17.

The first address would be delivered in Lahore on April 17, he said, adding that it was a green signal regarding the comeback of Musharraf, who is currently in self-exile from Pakistan.

According to the APML source, Musharraf has appraised the international powers, which were part of the understanding as guarantors, about the situation because the agreement was reached in their presence and now the current PPP leadership was not abiding by it.

Besides contacting such powers during his stay in Britain, Musharraf also held meetings with the ruler of Abu Dhabi, and the Chinese Ambassador to UAE, Gao Yusheng, in Dubai.

"In the meeting with Musharraf, the Chinese envoy said that his country highly values the improvement of the Pak-China relations during the rule of Musharraf," the source said, adding, "In all his meetings, the former president focused more on the economic issues, particularly economic reforms in Pakistan during his rule."

When contacted, PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said his party had not reached any understanding with Musharraf.

"The real objective of the contacts with Pervez Musharraf at that time was the peaceful transfer of power in the country and all political parties benefited from that move," Kaira said. (ANI)