LAHORE:
The Sharifs’ disregard for southern Punjab has led to the region’s population raising its voice for a separate province, said former president Pervez Musharraf on Sunday while addressing his supporters virtually in Lahore.
Reiterating his resolve to return to Pakistan on March 23, 2012, Musharraf lashed out at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership for ‘bad governance’ in Punjab.
Musharraf addressed the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Pasdar Youth Convention in Lahore through video conferencing and said that he would return to the county at any cost and demanded the nation to break the status quo and give the people of Pakistan another option for resolving the country’s pending issues.
The former president, who will make his schedule of arrival public, said no one in the world would dare bar him from returning to Pakistan. Speaking on politics back home, Musharraf said that the Sharifs were not playing a constructive role in the country’s politics. He added that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who holds 14 provincial ministries, had completely failed to control the spread of dengue fever in his province.
Dwelling on the Punjab government’s ‘inefficiency’, he said that Rs17 billion were spent on the construction of a road that led Raiwaind to the motorway, forcing Sharif to halt many other projects in southern Punjab due to shortage of funds in the provincial kitty and finance department.
He added that the people of southern Punjab have raised their voice for a separate province due to the Sharif’s disregard of the people.
Musharraf added that if the National Security Council and Local Government Ordinance 2001 had not been abolished, small matters at union council could have already been resolved. At present, he said, the main institutions of the country are quarreling with each other, ultimately blocking the entire system and damaging the nation.
He said that APML would be expanded at union council and tehsil levels and asked the party workers to prepare for his reception. APML’s media adviser Chaudhary Fawad and Senior Vice President Barrister Saif were present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2011.
COMMENTS (27)
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Another exiled politition trying to RULE PAKISTAN from the outside. I think the prime minister and the president should take note and also relocate??????????
With time PM's all decisions have proved correct. Musharraf is honest, analytical, and a true leader. We miss his era.
Musharraf - Allah may protect you from all evils. Please come we need you.
divide and rule still used by everyone in the country and now even dictators and look who is talking what a country we have where we have put the criminals as our heads and are ready to bring more criminals for leading this country
Yes, no body can bar you from returning but I hope and wish you are put behind bars on your return to pay for the harm you did to the democratic process and retarded the progress of almost all other institutions in thiis unfortunate country. It would help to deter future misadventures by security personnel if examplery punishment is meted to you.
Mr. Musharraf, We have not yet Forgotten: LAL Masjid (The most Shameful act by any ruler in Pakistan's history), Destruction of FATA from Bajaur to Waziristan (FATA had the lowest crime rate in Pakistan before 2001), Drone Attacks Permissions (e.g. Damadola airstrike killing 80 students on 30 Oct 2006), Airbases to Americans (Shamsi & Jacobabad etc), Handing over hundreds of Pakistanis to CIA (including Aafia Siddiqui), May-12 Killings in Karachi in 2007 (The famous "Mukka Speech"), Hundreds if not thousands of Missing Persons, Patronizing MQM and thus causing deaths of thousands of innocent Pakistanis in Karachi, Loot-Sale of Steel Mills, KESC and PTCL, Billions of worth corruption (NICL Punjab Bank, Islamabad Farm Houses, Karachi Shershah Bridge, Handing over Gwadar to Singapore company instead of Chinese and thus causing irrecoverable loss to Pakistan (Gwadar has been literally freezed & abondoned by the Singapore company), NRO (World's most shameful piece of legislation), Akbar Bugti Murder (thus throwing Balochistan into the flames of Revenge, insurgency and Anti-Pakistanism), Benzair Bhutto Murder (ref BB's famous emails to Mark Siegel) etc etc etc... The list of CONTRIBUTIONS is too long to be forgotten Mr. Musharraf.. So STAY where you are (With your Foreign Masters). Even then if We Pakistanis don't punish such people then "We deserve the mess We are in".
@malik: You are one hundred and one percent right. Salams to you brother
How painful this is for a country where once badly failed (who sold Pakistani) leader is aiming come back; what to say about our current democratic set up that is paving his safe/flourishing return.
I think Musharraf should join hands with Imran Khan. Now that will really make a formidable team . Both of them are sensible and educated as well.
Musharaf the only ray of hope!
His party should make an alliance with PPP and PTI for next elections
Please Come back Mr.Musharaf . We Need you Pakistan needs you .
@abdul moiz: Let democracy prevail. If the people of South Punjab want a seperate province then so be it.
Mark my words He is not coming back....EVER
Mush all quiet on the killings in Karachi. Altaf bhai has called him buzdil.
This is all an effort to further polarize the nation. Musharraf Sahab - if you were so concerned why didnt you act when you were ALL IN ALL!
Come on Mush. I want a longer and better second innings.
Mud slinging war of politicians have proved that all the politicians are in capable to run the country.
Musharraf you are welcome to take over from these in capable people and lead this country. As you have proven record of putting this country on right track.
The Mother Of all the present woes of Pakistan-Pervezi Musharraf for Mishandling War on terror and NRO.
Mush to return to bring peace and stability.
It seems Raja Ranjit Singh is still alive. Why the suppressed people of Seraiki belt are being termed as belonging to Southern Punjab. There is no mention of word Punjab in history before English. Therefore, region should be called Seraikistan or SriSindh. Long Live Raja Ranjit Singh. Long Live Seraikistan.
No more room for Mush!
Jiyeeeeeee Musharraf ! Love You !
the secret's out.musharraf and the ppp have been negotiating an alliance targetted solely against the pml-n. now this pathetic attempt to support ppp's racist hate campaign directed towards the breakup of punjab. the ppp,musharraf can make all the deals they want but they won't succeed in breaking up pakistan.
Retired General Sahib, Kindly return with grace. to prove that you were a real Commando.
Looks like Pakistani army is still supporting Mush! Game on!