MULTAN: As Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party continue to bicker over the National Reconciliation Ordinance, the man responsible for authoring the ordinance has finally spoken.
“The NRO was a deal with the late Benazir Bhutto. The matter is now in court and I will prefer that the court resolve it,” said former president and chief of the All Pakistan Muslim League Pervez Musharraf, while addressing the Multan Press Club’s weekly ‘Meet the Press’ meeting on Friday. “We all should accept and respect the court’s orders.”
The dictator-turned-politician, who himself assumed power in a bloodless coup in 1999, said that the solution to Pakistan’s myriad of problems was democracy.
“The country’s economic condition is the same as it was in 1999, but there will be no martial law,” Musharraf said, adding that military rule will not be encouraged or supported by world leaders. “A political solution must be adopted.”
Calling on the people of Pakistan to stand up and be counted, he said that it was time for Pakistanis to elect a suitable leader. “This dominance of two parties must end and the people of Pakistan need to understand this as soon as possible. Through the APML, we are giving them that chance and we hope they will make the right choice,” he said.
Speaking about new provinces, a heated debate that has made its way into the National Assembly, Musharraf said that a Seraiki province was an unavoidable reality and must be made as soon as possible. “The formation of a Seraiki province will be one of the first things I will undertake if I come to power as it is the right of the people of southern Punjab.”Musharraf, who had encouraged many technocrats during his tenure, said that the business community has a key role to play in supporting the economy and bringing transparency into Pakistani politics. He said that he felt proud that he had facilitated a vibrant and independent media and appreciates its efforts in highlighting the various issues currently plaguing Pakistan. “However, the media has to be more responsible when presenting opinions before the people.”
Thousands of APML workers from southern Punjab organised a rally, demanding Musharraf’s early return to Pakistan. The party’s spokesperson has said that Musharraf will return to Pakistan on January 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2012.
COMMENTS (37)
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Pakistan Needs leaders like him. Unfortunately, our corrupt and inefficient parties are trying hard to tarnish his image. The more they speak against him the more respect is earned by him.
@zafar: Pakistan today need more people like you. @hamza khan: My respect for you has doubled. You always make sense when you speak. Respects!
Dear sir You are a great leader.everybody know this,if NRO is your Mistake it's also mistake by your alliances.why they are still in pakistan and ruling the country,No body taking about them,they are corrupt and the looted pakistani people still they are ruling.If Musharaf did a mistake like NRO it doesn't matter the other made more mistake than him.We accept him as a great leader for pakistan. Dear sir we all chitrali people will support you all the time.God Bless you.
I saluted u jst as a soldier U couldnt do any thing 4 pak in ur ruling period So wat wil u do now...? Dnt even think do b elected
Mush could see the PCO SC judges clearly better than most people. He treated them on merit and that is why he is still popular. Mush is the main writer of NRO and if it is wrong then I dare the PCO SC to bring him into court. Mush knows too well that these judges have a long history of following powerful dictators.
@ismail suleman: Sorry to say your Musharraf was more corrupt than any politician in the PPP or PML or any party. After all he was a general who took over in an illegal coup. That makes him worse than any politician. He is responsible for destabilizing the nation and causing our current problems.
Dear sir don't listen to the people who don't know anything about politics. Many people speak about Pakistan without even knowing what Pakistan is. Let them speak those people can only blame, trust me they don't have solutions because they are just people who follow...
Wasn't he the guy who suspended the Constitution that he dictated and purged a Supreme Court that he had filled with his erstwhile cronies. The only guy in the world who bought about a coup d'etat against himself.
Joke of the day.. :D
Musharraf zindabad the only leader who can rule pakistan properly unlike those corrupt PPP and PML(N)
Why Musharraf - Anybody in such a situation would have acted in the same way. One side it was US threatening Pakistan, and other side the terrorists just about to encircle the capital. About removing the Chief Justice, our people will shortly know what Musharraf did was correct. In a democratic set up, no institution should be allowed an absolute power and there should be checks and balances between all of them.
@F Khan:
and get killed? sure. great logic.
Great Leader, with the courage to accept his mistakes. It was a different Pakistan when he was in power. Lets bring that Pakistan back.
General Sahib:
Why did not you referred the matter of NRO to the Court when you were in power?
In fact you removed the Chief Justice from his job and now you are ready to accept the verdict of the same Chief Justice?
Don't you think that it is your double standard policy?
You know what judgement Supreme Court is going to deliver and that is going to be in your favour and then you will again become the President of Pakistan.
Opponents have been demanding to bring Musharraf back through interpol, and now when he is coming the same craps are saying taht Musharraf should not comeback. This is all hypocricy. Hyprcritic people cannot face a true leader such as highly straight talker Musharraf.
If Musharraf truly accepts the supremacy of the judiciary (which he doesn't) then he should go straight to jail upon landing, freely and willingly. Something tells me that won't happen.
@hamza khan: What about those cases registered by late president of Pakistan, Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, A PPP stalwart and one of the founders of the party. What about the money in Swiss accounts? What about Surrey Palace, which recently has been claimed by Zardari? What about those thousands of corrupt govt servants, politicians and criminals who got clean chit from NRO? It was the biggest and nastiest joke with the poor people of Pakistan. Whether the beneficiary is Benazir, Zardari, Nawaz Sharif , MQM or others, is wrong and unconstitutional.
wonderful to hear this Mush, will you ALSO accept the verdict if courts hold you guilty of Akbar Bugti's murder and punish you accordingly?
I am not a fan of any particular party, having said...I will support those poor people who will say..which period was good for them....period.
A true leader accepts his mistake. Musharraf has repeatedly said NRO was a mistake and he regrets it. NRO was not issued with ill intent rather to keep Pakistan stable so that it won't hurt the economy.
Musharraf is the only hope for Pakistan. APML Zindabad!
Musharraf respects judiciary otherwise he would have never come back. He is a brave man. Those who accuse him of sacking Cheif Justice must know that he used his constitutional power to send a case against the CJ to the Supreme Judicial Council. When there is a case against a CJ he cannot in any country act as CJ till the time the case is resolved. The funny part is that the case was never heard and PML N's Ch Nisar quickly turned the issue into political cause which was joined by the lawyer's movement. Sadly so all those lawyers who were struggling for the independence of judiciary are no more on the scene. They have been side lined because the political motive has been acheived. On NRO, it was agreed by all political parties (not ONE - ALL) and all those political parties were given votes by the people of Pakistan. Now if the CJ thinks it was voilation of the constitution then lets respect it.
Musharraf slowly but surely is picking up. I remember APML's previous meeting not exceeding a few hunderd people, who now are in thousands and imagine what happens when he lands in Pakistan. People are already talking about his golden era.
First they will call you tanga party, then they call you Facebook party, then they will call you video conferencing party, then they will call you jalsa party and then you win ;) (Pervaiz Musharaf to his supporters).
General Sb. I only hope that you should have shown that maturity and foresightedness in 1999 which Kiyani is showing at the moment.
Finally Mushy uncle making sense. Btw what about those who were behind this pathetic NRO?
Look who is advocating Justice.... The Guy who who Locked up the Chief Justice!
the NRO was only a deal with BB to allow her to return after the elections in exchange for getting rid of her politicized cases that nawaz sharif and his government had initiated (most of them false and having been in court for 15 years without a decision). thats all. it was not an invitation for her to return and become PM. musharraf categorically rejected this notion. for all rational thinkers not associated with only bashing musharraf, think through what happened after that. elections (basically free) happen and the PPP after losing BB sweeps into power. who did that? is that musharraf who asked the people to vote for the PPP? thats not his fault. the awam of this country needs to start accepting blame and stop laying it on the doorstep of those at the top. now has the NRO caused a lot of political upheaval? yes, certainly. and musharraf has publicly many times apologized and expressed regret for the decision. what else is the man to do? we should publicly conduct a media trial of him? what sort of democracy is this? pakistanis deserve the current situation they are in...
Great leader with vision and analysis. Welcome Sir - we are waiting for us to rid us from PML-n and PPP.
Mush as no credibility after what he has done to Pakistan. Agreed, it was him who gave media the freedom that it needed, however it was also him to shut it down when they questioned his 'state of emergency' decision.
The NRO was his brainchild...and its funny now that he doesnt want to talk about it since its in the courts. Since when did Mush care about Pakistans courts? He is a dictator in a veil of democracy...the people of Pakistan will hopefully not fall for this crap anymore.
Just like you heeded the court right?
Hard to believe the words of a guy who took over illegally and ruled as a dictator for 9 years. If anything Musharraf should be arrested and put in jail for damaging the democratic process.
LOL. Mushy aap boht funny ho!
thaks u sir, for granting NRO to this poor nation!!!. Only you had courge to issue such orders