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Rediff.com  » News » Musharraf rules out fleeing Pakistan

Musharraf rules out fleeing Pakistan

Source: PTI
June 23, 2008 20:45 IST
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Ruling out fleeing Pakistan, embattled President Pervez Musharraf said the killing of Pakistan People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto upset his "plan" under which he would have wielded control over key portfolios of security, foreign and defence while she would be the prime minister.

In an interview to the Channel Five, Musharraf said that it was not his nature and training to be a mere spectator and leave things unfinished.

"I will not go out of Pakistan," he was quoted as saying by The Post daily.

"I will play golf, read books and can think about writing books," Musharraf said, adding his house in Chak Shehzad near Islamabad is near completion.

The former general, who gave up his uniform last year under intense international pressure, said he was a democrat and believed in respecting the will of the people.

"If people want Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto who am I to stop them," he said.

He said the Sharif brothers -- Paksitan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz -- returned to Pakistan under "an agreement" and alleged they were violating its terms.

He said things were going well, but the murder of Bhutto created a lot of confusion and disturbed the whole plan.

About his meeting with the Bhutto, Musharraf said she had agreed with him that he (Musharraf) would look after security, foreign and defence affairs, the daily said.

Musharraf assured the late PPP leader that he would not interfere in administrative matters of the state. He said economic condition of the country was not satisfactory and the government should take the situation seriously.

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