Musharraf statement political, bid to hide behind army: General Awan

LAHORE: Defence analyst Maj Gen Ejaz Awan (retd) said Thursday a statement by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) about Benazir Bhutto’s assassination is political and an attempt to hide behind army.

He was speaking in Geo News programme Capital Talk hosted by Hamid Mir. PML-N leader Senator Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum (retd), PPP leader Maula Bakhsh Chandio also spoke.

Ejaz Awan said any pressure on a general who left army 10 years ago would not be taken as pressure on the army. If Musharraf doesn’t return, he should be made to face trial under the law as his trial is not army’s trial, the defence analyst added.

Commenting on PML-N leader Saad Rafiq’s statement and army’s reaction to it, Senator Abdul Qayyum said Saad Saad is a seasoned politician who speaks in a calculated manner. He clarified that Saad didn’t say there were some conspirators. The senator said that he concurs with the statement of army’s spokesperson in its entirety, adding that no one could say there are rogue elements in the army.

He said the army chief, as he briefed the Senate, termed democracy as the only way forward for the country, adding the senators admired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa which was not liked by baiters.

Maula Bakhsh Chandio said Saad’s statement emanates from PML-N’s decided policy. After his defeat at the judicial front, Nawaz Sharif wants to create an atmosphere of confrontation and aims at benefitting from institutional discord. “Army remained patient which I admire,” Chandio added. He said PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is brave, but a scared Musharraf “ran away.”