Dubai: Former Pakistani President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has finalised plans to go back to Pakistan from self-exile after seeking guarantee from regional leaders and Pakistan army, Gulf News has learnt.
Sources told Gulf News that regional powers have asked Pakistani politicians and the establishment to allow Musharraf to return from exile in the similar fashion Musharraf had allowed former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to go back to Pakistan from exile in 2007 to contest elections.
However, Musharraf neither denied nor accepted that he has ‘sought any guarantees’ for his safe return to homeland. “I did not ask anyone for any guarantee for my safe return, but I expect the world leaders to support me on my safe return, considering my stature as former president and ex-army chief,” Musharraf told Gulf News replying to a question about some reports that regional powers have played role for his return. Sources said that there have been talks and the deal has been brokered after recent visit of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia early this week.
Musharraf has, meanwhile, once again announced tentative date of his return to Pakistan. “Musharraf is expected to fly from Dubai to land in Karachi on March 24 provided the interim government is announced by March 17,” said Khurram Haris, a spokesperson of Musharraf’s party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).
Some 250 people, including 100 journalists, will accompany Musharraf on a commercial flight from Dubai.
Musharraf said that he expected he would not be arrested on arrival because he was not convicted by the court in any of the cases. “I will present myself in the court after my return and hope the justice will be done,” said Musharraf, who is planning to contest the next general elections pitching himself as the third political force in the country.
