Image via WikipediaDUBAI ( Khaleej Times)- Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has said that his newly formed party — the All Pakistan Muslim League — was ready to take part in mid-term elections “even if they are held in a few weeks”.
Talking to journalists at a Meet the Press event at his residence on Monday, the former president said: “We are ready to jump though it will be better if we get more time.”
“There is political turmoil in Pakistan at present. The country is in grip of rumours and conspiracy theories, questions being asked about prime minister’s ability to survive a no-confidence motion and things like that. It is difficult to assess what will happen,” he said.
Musharraf said the government needed the support of either the PML-N or the PML-Q but both options are not without repercussions. He said he had not decided if he would join or stay away if a national government is formed in Pakistan.
The former military ruler said he was ready to form an alliance for the next elections if necessary. “My target is that APML emerge winner as the single largest party and not to depended on a coalition. This will bring political stability and nobody could blackmail us,” he said.
He said that he would welcome the PML-N if it wanted to join him. He said that MQM leadership was in regular contact with him, specially during his stay in London.
About the current political crisis in Islamabad he said: “I do not want to predict whether the government will collapse or not. The prime minister has to take a vote of confidence from parliament. The democratic process will continue.”
Musharraf said he wanted to return to Pakistan before the next elections. “We are trying to create an environment for my return.,” he said.
He said that he wanted to continue his relationship with PML-Q because they were his supporters. “The problem is that Chaudhry Shujaat is the president of PML-Q, not me. PML-Q is not one entity any more and Shujaat will have to make way for me to lead the party.”
He said he would return to Pakistan on people’s mandate and not on any other support. “Army has been my life, but army does not support politicians,” he said.
Musharraf said the arrest of Baloch nationalist leader Shahzain Bugti would help reveal many things about the ongoing militancy in Balochistan.
