**Musharraf ‘wants’ graceful second exile
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ISLAMABAD - A five-member US Congressional delegation held a secret meeting with former President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday at his Chak Shahzad sub-jail residence, reliable sources confirmed to The Nation.
Led by Senator Joe Donnelly, the delegation included Senators Heidi Heitkamp, Tammy Baldwin and Chris Murphy, and Congressman Peter Welch. US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson also accompanied them. They discussed with Musharraf the current status of his trail and its impact on his party and country’s political situation.
The former dictator reportedly told the US legislators that he did not want to leave the country as a deserter but with dignity and honour. He told them that he, being an Army commando, was not afraid of cases against him but he wanted justice from the investigators and the higher courts.
This meeting is significant as some media reports say that the military establishment as well as the present caretaker government wanted a safe and dignified passage for the former military ruler to leave the country. But Musharraf’s close aides insist that he won’t leave the country without settling the cases against him.
Sources also said that Musharraf told the US legislators that he did not trust the courts because the lawyers’ community and judges seek to take revenge from him because of his past actions against the judiciary. He also complained that his close associates too were in hot waters these days and facing fake cases from the lawyers’ community.
When contacted, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Aamir Saeed said that he was unaware of this meeting and that “no permission was issued by my office to this affect”. Despite repeated attempts, Islamabad chief commissioner could not be reached on phone for confirmation of the news. US embassy spokesperson was also not available to comment.
Musharraf, who returned from exile in March to hoping for a political comeback has been entangled in a number of cases, the most serious one being the treason trial. The latest blow to his ambitions came when on Tuesday the Peshawar High Court handed him the lifetime ban from contesting elections.
The same day Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani, in a speech at army headquarters marking Martyr’s Day, hinted that he was unhappy with the detention of the retired general. In a veiled reference to the legal troubles dogging Musharraf, who has been placed under and over treason-related charges, he said: “In my opinion, it is not merely retribution, but awareness and participation of the masses that can truly end this game of hide-and-seek between democracy and dictatorship.”
Staff Reporters add: Before concluding their three-day visit, the congressional team met with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (r) Asif Yaseen Malik, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, Election Commission Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan and representatives of civil society and discussed the current status of bilateral relations, forthcoming elections in Pakistan and regional issues, including the situation in Afghanistan.
Full Report
Ground realties have finally started to dawn on him that he is now a persona non grata in his own country.