A file photo of former preisdent of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf. PHOTO: AFP
Musharraf seized power in a 1999 coup and resigned in 2008 when his allies lost a vote and a new government threatened him with impeachment. He left the country a year later.
The former army general faces the possibility of arrest in Pakistan on charges that he failed to provide adequate security to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before her assassination in 2007.
His press aide Khurram Haris told Reuters that Musharraf would return to Karachi on a public flight on March 24, and would not be detained on his arrival.
"President Musharraf has made it clear that he will present himself to the courts because he believes he hasn't done anything wrong," Haris said. Pakistan's government would provide security for Musharraf, he added.
The ex-president had already said he planned to return in March to take part in the election, but had not given an exact date.
He had also announced similar plans to return in January last year, but his aides advised him to hold off because of political instability in the country.
Pakistan's parliament is due to be dissolved on March 16. An election has to be held within 90 days, allowing for a period for campaigning and other preparations.
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He is a brave man and is badly needed back in Pakistan. The cases are all concocted - as has historically been done in Pakistan. Lal Masjid, Bugti etc. were the right measures. Technically you cannot bring legal cases against a ruler who takes security actions while in office. If that were allowed no one will be able to rule. The US gov't took action against the armed cult in Waco Texas and all the cult members were killed. No one sued the Clinton gov't because it could not be brought to court for taking a security action. Same applies in Pakistan. It is heart warming to read the comments here - most of the people support Musharraf. I am seeing the same on other media forums as well. Keeping fingers crossed!
@SHB: Hehehehehe. For ur kind information the courts of pakistan has acquitted from any unpaid Tax or Bill.
Thank you dear. Now go and try to come with any other story.
I hope the baloch give him a warm welcome
Mr. Musharraf was brave to admit his mistake on TV. To err is human, to forgive divine. He will certainly learn from his past mistakes and will emerge as a stronger leader and better statesman.
Welcome home, Sir.
@Tera: Please provide proof of your claim. Don't provide blog links, since they don't prove anything.
My vote goes to you sir. We need you :)
@Mohammad Ahmed: So, Who are you?
@Raj - USA:
Sorry you are not his advisor so keep your advice with you.
@Tera: When Musharraf relinquished power, USA & UK assured him that they shall take care that he gets some good income regularly. This is why they promoted him book. This is also the reason he gets his speaking assignments. Though I do not like Musharraf for obvious reasons, I do not think he took away much money from Pakistan. May be some amount, but it is nothing compared to what many others have done.
@shahid: Do you know that he spent millions on his apartment in London?
Where did he get the money from if he was just a saint?
Does Musharraf not face charges for the assassination of Bugti?
@Rex Minor: You mean the terrorists including foreign ones there?
@Peace Lover There are no cases against him. Warrants are for not appearing in court to testify.
With peace
@Usman: " kleptocratic feudals" their loot and plunder has made Musharraf look good or at least the lesser evil. But a more effective government, even like the ones Pakistan had in the 1990's would have clearly revealed the failings of Musharraf. Pakistan has witnessed greatest economic slides during both the present government's rule and that of Musharraf's. Even if he had any excuse to seize power there was none to continue without democratizing for almost a decade. The man was a driven by personal ambition and had a craze for power.
@advice: " the danda bardar Force in Islamabad" violated the law by taking it into its hands. So did Musharraf when he violated the Constitution of Pakistan, subverted democracy, and like the "danda bardar Force," frustrated the writ of the Government. He never was sincere about coming to peace with the Lal Masjid occupants. The Lal Masjid Commission should investigate if he used napalm bombs or other chemical weapons for killing more than a hundred there, including women. It is alleged that many were burnt to ashes and there remains could not be found, no question about identifying them. He lacked a human side.
@advice: Yes, media has become so free with over one hundred channels that you can't watch TV with your kids. I would say even by yourself if you want to remain unpolluted.
Su moto on Musharraf return is waiting for him.
Last time he took over he professed admiration for Kamal Pasha/Attaturk and his secularism, but abandoned it later. Hope he's wiser now and sticks to his commitment to secularism..
Is anyone here aware of Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan?
@Shaista..
You may be right, but if you are able today to openly express your thoughts through media, it is only because of Musharaf`s policy too. He gave license to more than 100 channels, which is remarkable. I know media is being abused by corrupt people but it is better to have them instead of only PTV which only announce Govt. orders. before musharaf there was no concept of independent media. he made it possible. However we have print media since the inception of pakistan but it does not directly targets most of the uneducated people of pakistan. The law and order situation of Pakistan was also bad in the Past But You are now informed today as comapre to past. only because of Electronic media. so Hats off to Pervez musharaf for this move who himself becomes the taget of the media afterwards. However i cannot comment on other deeds of Musharaf, may be he was bad at other policies.
The Lal Masjid Decision was right decision according to me, did you forget the danda bardar Force in Islamabad?? i guess people of Islamabd better knows the fear.
His Worst Decision was NRO, and negotitions with Corrupt politicians.
No action against drones was also bad, you can not expect this from a commando.
and yes to the U.S call asking Pakistan to be US puppet on war on terror was also Bad.
However he managed the economy well and made many laws friendly to the people.
I'm actually shocked at the number of people who write in his support
The people of the sub-continent did not fight against the British because they did not build enough railroads or the postal network etc. The essentially rose up because British rule was illegitimate. So was Musharraf's
He should first present himself for accountability as he violated the constitution. Serve his sentence. If he is still around then, he can come to politics again and contest elections
Right now Rawalpindi jail sounds about right
lol. this is funny
@Peace Lover: What cases??
I Like this Guy...but still i would Vote for PTI
This guy is a BEST dude in BAD dudes!! after all none of them are clean!!
@some chumpoos above saying as to why Musharraf left Pakistan in the first place. He could never get a fair trial when CJ and this current lot of democratic saviors (our beloved parliamentarians) were ruling the roost.
That being said, i dont think he has much of a chance in elections, as the illiterate majority of this country only gives second chances to kleptocratic feudals, but not to people who actually do good for the country.
Musharraf is better than each of the current parliamentarians.
@SHB:
You are not uptodate in your news. He paid his bill which was in lakhs long time ago. Dont you worry?
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
Before Musharraf, I like to see Zardari, Nawaz Shareef and the entire present ccentral and provincial govt should be tried in the court for mis-govern the country, looting the wealth etc. At least there is no corruption charge in Musharraf era and people were happy. No problem of law and order either.
WElcome Back Sir Im big Fan of you and inshallah will vote for you
@SHB: yeah, also has a palace in Surrey, accounts in Swiss banks, business interests in Saudi Arabia and UK, so much for water bill,
@Aysha: So you think Musharraf is a "clean man." He invaded Kargil, the holding of which was unsustainable given international configurations and got Pakistan into trouble. Probably, he surmised if he were successful he would become a hero and that would pave the way for his coming into power. Conversely, if he failed, he could blame the Government and then use it as a pretext for grabbing power. Consequently, he uprooted democracy, subverted the Constitution of the land and committed acts of high treason for which he should be brought to justice. Clean does just entail lack of corruption. There too there are questions as to why did he need eleven bank accounts, whereas in normal circumstances two or three should be adequate. Moreover, his role in not providing adequate protection to Benazir has raised a lot of questions which remain unanswered. Here too he needs to come clean.
Musharraf usurped power to implement his vision, which was influenced by Mustafa Kamal Atta Turk. It was a different situation in Pakistan but Musharraf failed to realize it. Instead of fighting his ideological opponents through argument, education, and propagation through media, he used strong armed methods with wide ranging repercussions. The offshoots of his doings resulted in increased militant activity and a further divisiveness, which is ruining Pakistan. He was a very short-sighted ruler who subverted democracy with adverse and telling consequences for the nation. He should appear before courts to clear his name if he is actually innocent. But he dares not. Why?
return of cammando...
@Iqbal: It was TRUE when he said it. Amazing thing is it is TRUE today as well. He spoke the truth, called spade a spade.
@Dilip: They will hide him in Abbotabad. A safe place for fugitives.
Rex Minor
He too honest and upright for Pakistani politics. He can serve better at international level talking to western youth and intelligentsia, and pleading the case for Pakistan. Politics in Pakistan too dirty for a clean man like Musharraf
his policies gifted us, the current security situation and current goverment too! lets see what he has to offer this time...
We welcome The Lion of Pakistan Saved Pakistan from after-Nawaz crises, now he's gonna save Pakistan from after-Zardari crisis.
Though my vote goes to IK, but undountedly I'm this man's fan too. This man definitely has the guts. let him finally come back and face the sitution
taliban will get him.
Musharaf was better than the current dispensation by a long margin. He could easily have followed Ayub, Yahya and Zia and stayed as the army chief and become CMLA. He chose to quit. Gilani had to be pushed very hard by the SC. Which of the current leaders will give up power voluntarily? Not one of them. That he is a brave man, of that there is no doubt. I hope he is not miscalculating like he has a few times before. In a presidential referendum he might win. In a feudal system he is unlikely to.
Who is going to remind him of what he thinks of us muslims. I will repeat it just in case: Today we are the poorest, the most illiterate, the most backward, the most unhealthy, the most un-enlightened, the most deprived, and the weakest of all the human race
Mushy failed against the extremists and mullahs....he could have dealt them a death blow but in the end he just appeased them....what a shame
...You're making a big mistake returning to Pakistan Musharraf Sb.
East and west PERVEZ MUSHARRAF is the best.
PERVEZ MUSHARRAF will be the next leader of PAKISTAN very soon INSHALLAH as people of PAKISTAN are with him. PAKISTAN FIRST.
welcome home.
@Viv, Unlike the other leaders , Musharraf did not loot the wealth of Pakistan and runaway, get your facts right, he left almost 4years ago for his lecture circuit in the west.politically motivated cases, justice would be pro present corrupt government favored. Musharraf is the best leader for Pakistan.
Plan A (PTI) backfired; Plan B (TUQ) failed; and now Plan C (MUSH) coming soon.
If he does come back, the Supreme Court has a responsibility to try him against the cases pending against him. Would the Court dare?
Finally the "Bahadur Commando" found his courage to return home and save it from demcratic looters and politicians who pushed our "Land of Pure" into this misery of extremism and not to forget "War on Terror"
Mr Musharraf Zindabadstrong text
Does he have a place to live??? Maybe the jail in Rawalpindi, close to his former home.
@Fasi: If he had built castle for himself than why would he travel to one of the dangerous places on the planet? Is it okay to build castles in Raiwind, interior Sindh and Baluchistan? And forget about the property tax.
He is coming .. He is coming .. ...
.. and He just arrived ....
Did you see white smoke from Karachi/Islamabad chimney?
@viv Most likely you are an Indian and perhaps not familiar with the situation in Pakistan. Musharraf has never been involved in any financial scandals or neopotism. His back ground was from army and he came as a result of a military take over but he has been the most democratic ruler in approach and also a very capable administrator.My vote is for him and I request others also to do the same.
To put a stop to the current anarchy which has befallen the country there are two pre-requisites;
. Musharaf and his associates to be put on trial for the attack on the house of God in Islamabad.
, The entire people should ask for God's forgiveness for the blasphemic acts of the former Govts. for excommunicating a sect of muslims and committing crimes against minorities including christians.
Rex Minor
Yes Sir, Please come back and finish what you have started so that we all can rest in peace and you can built another castle on a different continent.
waiting for him!
welcome!
"Pakistan’s government would provide security for Musharraf" - The present government cannot provide security for it's minorities, where is it going to provide security for the MAN?.
Sir, you are most welcome! Please come and help us out of our misery.
@Acorn Guts: if he's so courageous than why didn't he stay in his country? why didn't he serve the jail term if required....it has become a fashion for pak leaders to grow huge money while in power,cut the country into pieces and runaway to a comfortable place when out of power and after some years come back to the land to SAVE THE COUNTRY they had looted earlier...and like ppl in india they tend to forget their sins just becoz he was courageous enough to cross border to indian side during kargil.
Why 24th? 12th would have been a better date.
Not a big fan but I certainly admire his courage. Weighing his 'dictatorial' rule against the 'democratic' shambles we had for the last 5 years, I'm all for giving the 'democratic' Musharraf another chance!
My vote will go to this man. Chances are it will be waisted but still its going to Musharraf
Musharraf would return to Karachi on a public flight on March 24, and would not be detained on his arrival. So we have another deal… another compromise… in the name of so called national interest ….the tragedy is that the people of Pakistan who are the major stake holders in this Country are kept in blind about these deals and compromise.