Musharraf heeds to party advise, defers return to Pakistan

Dubai, Jan 26: Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf has deferred his plans to return home from self-exile after repeated threats by the country’s leadership that the former general would be arrested upon arrival, an official of his party said on Friday.

Heeding the advise of the executive committee of his party and his friends and supporters, Musharraf has decided to defer his return to his home country, the official said.

All Pakistan Muslim League secretary general Mohammed Ali Saif said told reporters that political developments in Pakistan took a turn following the announcement of his intention to return by the end of the month.

Saif said that the party has asked Musharraf to postpone his return home, “until the situation in Pakistan becomes conducive to the return.” 68-year-old Musharraf had announced earlier this year that he would return to Pakistan from more than three years of self-imposed exile in London and Dubai, despite threats to arrest him.

There were also reports of senior officials from Pakistan visiting him in Dubai to dissuade him from taking the step.

According to Ali, the former president agreed to take into account the changed scenario in his country.

“This decision (of returning) will be deliberated by the core committee of the party,” he told reporters.

The party has concluded that “it would not be beneficial to the party’s interest that (former) president Musharraf returns to Pakistan” in the current conditions, he added.

Senior officials in Pakistan, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, had recently said that Musharraf will be arrested on arrival if he returned to the country

PTI