Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani on Monday dismissed former President Pervez Musharraf`s
plans to return to active politics, saying he would be
"welcomed" by the Supreme Court Chief Justice if he came back
to Pakistan as a slew of cases were pending against him.
Asked by a journalist to comment on Musharraf`s plans
to return to Pakistan, Gilani said sarcastically: "I don’t
know when he is returning but I think he will be welcomed by
the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
"There are many cases against him (Musharraf),"
Gilani said during an interaction with the media in his
hometown of Multan in Punjab province.
After Musharraf resigned in August 2008 to avoid being
impeached by the Pakistan People`s Party-led government,
several legal and criminal cases were registered against him
across the country.
Musharraf left Pakistan in April last year and has
been living in self-exile in Britain and the US since then.
During an interview with BBC last week, Musharraf said
he was forming a new political party with the intention of
participating in Pakistan`s next general election scheduled
for 2013.
"Two hundred per cent, I will participate in the next
election," Musharraf said, adding he hoped to become either
President or Prime Minister.
Musharraf`s aides have cobbled together a new party
the All Pakistan Muslim League to facilitate his return to
the country though he hasn`t set a date for his homecoming.
Musharraf acknowledged that if he did go back to
Pakistan, he would have to face some legal cases and that
there would be the risk of his being killed.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a close aide and legal advisor
of Musharraf, claimed today that there was no case against the
former President pending in the Supreme Court or High Courts.
"Neither is there any criminal case against him. The
Prime Minister’s comment that there are many cases against
Musharraf shows up his lack of information," Hussain told the
media.
Hussain said Musharraf will announce details of his
return to politics on October 1 in London.
This will mark the first phase of the resumption of
Musharraf’s political career and he will return to Pakistan in
the second phase, Hussain said.
Musharraf`s spokesman Mohammad Saif said the people of
Pakistan had reposed confidence in the former President by
pledging over Rs 200 million in a telethon for flood victims
in which he participated.
Musharraf will participate in another telethon on CNN
along with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and
movie star Angelina Jolie, Saif said.
PTI
