Zardari says Musharraf will not return

KARACHI: The former president Asif Ali Zardari has said that the former military ruler General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has no plan to return to Pakistan.

“The commando who didn’t give us security is now himself sensing the danger,” said the former president while addressing a ceremony held here at Bilawal House Karachi to mark the 65th birth annversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The former president was referring to the much-debated episode in October, 2007 when Benazir Bhutto had complained that she was being denied adequate security on her return.

“At one time Pervez Musharraf used to say that he will lead the MQM while on other occasions he searches for any other platform (to lead). There is no reply as to how Musharraf accumulated wealth of billions of rupees,” said Zardari. He said Musharraf used to say that billions of rupees were given to him by late Saudi King Abdullah but there is no proof to prove his claim.

The PPP co-chairman said without returning to Pakistan, Musharraf is uselessly saying that he would do politics. He said whenever a dictator has come to power he has tried to damage democracy. “Ziaul Haq had also thought that he would silence Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after killing him,” said the former president.

He said Benazir Bhutto embraced martyrdom during her struggle for the cause of democracy. “Today BB is seeing us as we all workers are assembled here. The prayers of Shaheed BB are here with all of us,” he said.

“We will teach a lesson to our opponents in the elections that PPP is alive and will continue to remain alive,” said Zardari who is also president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians. Zardari’s daughters Aseefa Bhutto, Bakhtawar Bhutto, and other senior PPP leaders were present on the occasion and later cut a cake to celebrate the birth anniversary of the late leader.