Musharraf may not return soon

ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has no plans to return home soon as his doctors have advised him to avoid air travel.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government is prepared to provide him a wide-bodied Boeing-777 plane by converting it into an air ambulance with all the facilities and equipment for his shifting to Pakistan.

Tariq Aziz, who served as his principal secretary and secretary general of the National Security Council (NSC) for eight years during the government of Pervez Musharraf, told The News Saturday evening in a brief chat that Musharraf was keen to return home but his doctors were coming in the way. Tariq Aziz is also in contact with Mrs Sehba Musharraf, who is looking after her spouse in a Dubai hospital and concerned about his deteriorating health.

Tariq Aziz and Pervez Musharraf are buddies from the FC College, Lahore, days. Tariq, an officer of Grade-22 Inland Revenue Service (IRS), said that the family of the former General was indebted to all those who had expressed good wishes for his health by staying above all considerations.

He was of the view that Musharraf and his wife were suffering on account of loneliness. Aziz said that the former president was admitted to the state-of-art hospital of the UAE. A competent team of doctors was attending to him but staying away from the motherland was causing him uneasiness. The General feels difficulty in talking for long but he didn’t forget asking about the situation back in the country and prayed for it every time. His son Bilal comes to attend to his father.

Tariq Aziz said that the UAE rulers were looking after the general. He recalled that when Pervez Musharraf’s mother passed away in the UAE, she was buried with great honour and high officials of the Emirates, including ministers, turned up on the occasion and condoled with him.