“I would say, failure of governance is the greatest threat today,” the Times of India reported Musharraf as saying. In an interview given to an Indian publication, Musharraf said that the immediate necessity on the ground in Pakistan is a “functional governance structure free of corruption”.
The former president has announced his return to politics from London, where he has been living in self-imposed exile since the general election of 2008.
Accusing the current government of failing to effectively govern the country, he said: “The (Pakistan Peoples Party) government has failed to do so. Nawaz Sharif came to power twice but could not do anything productive because he is actually brainless.”
His remarks came amid criticism of the government for the handling of the floods and corruption.
Asked if he planned to return to Pakistan, Musharraf said he would “as soon as elections are announced. In the meantime, I will focus on strengthening the party from here,” he said, referring to his All Pakistan Muslim League launched in London on October 1.
Musharraf also said he was not perturbed by reports that he will be facing trouble if he returned to Pakistan. “Let them do whatever they want to. As far as I am concerned, there are no hindrances for my return when I want to. All those opposing me are cowards and are scared of my return,” he said.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had recently said that if Musharraf returned to Pakistan, the Supreme Court will “welcome” him as a slew of cases were pending against him.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2010.
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