Musharraf restructures party in UK

LONDON: Former President Pervez Musharraf has reorganised his party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) in the UK in the anticipation that he will live here in the long run and will need diehard supporters.
In restructuring his party, the former military ruler, who faces treason charges in Pakistan and remains locked in confrontation with the Pakistan Muslim League government, he has made a staunch loyalist Ifzaal Siddiqui as the APML president for UK.
At a press conference here, APML leader Dr Amjad from Pakistan spoke over the phone to the APML workers and thanked them for showing steadfastness with the party and its leader. He told workers that they had shown strength of character at a time when many people have proven to be opportunists. Dr Amjad said that the support offered to Pervez Musharraf by overseas Pakistanis was crucial and had helped him to fight his detractors in Pakistan and elsewhere.
Speaking to The News, Ifzaal Siddiqui thanked Pervez Mushrraf for posing his trust in him to run APML UK affairs. He alleged that Musharraf is being persecuted for his beliefs in Pakistan and being subjected to undue pressure. He said it was unbelievable that the PML-N government failed to understand that as head of Pakistan’s armed forces, Musharraf didn’t take decisions as an individual but as the commander who had support at all levels of the armed forces and the government.
“We would have known from the army or the then government if decisions of Pervez Musharraf were unilateral but that’s not the case and that’s the reason why the whole institution of Pakistan army stands behind him. Pakistan doesn’t need confrontation as it faces so many crises, its important that Pervez Musharaf is allowed to live his life freely and all vindictive steps against him shall be stopped immediately or else confrontation between different institutions will increase,” he warned and demanded the withdrawal of “bogus court cases”.
He said that the APML stood for media freedom and will oppose any ban on Geo and Jang. He said that it was Pervez Musharraf who introduced media freedoms in Pakistan and allowed a free and vibrant media culture in the country.
According to the APML, the new organisation will comprise of Ch Pervez Akhtar as senior vice president, Naeem Abbas Khan as president Greater London, Syed Mohsin Naqvi as deputy general secretary APML UK, Syed Nayab Zaidi, senior vice president UK, and Usman Yousaf as vice president UK.