Benazir violated ‘deal’ between us : Musharraf

WASHINGTON - Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has revealed that he and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had entered a deal, according to which, all cases against her were to be dropped in return for which she had agreed to not to return to Pakistan before the elections.

Talking to reporters after addressing a gathering of 300 Pakistani Americans in Seattle, Musharraf said it was also decided that the restriction on becoming the Prime Minister for the third term would also be withdrawn, but Bhutto violated the deal and returned to Pakistan ahead of the elections in 2007.

“But she returned to Pakistan before elections and it was a violation of what we had agreed,” The News quoted Musharraf, as saying.

When asked to comment on the possible role of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, Musharraf said: “A person who I call a closet Taliban. I feel he’ll be a bigger disaster. And also, he has a tendency of can’t function with anyone.”

Later, talking to an audience of hundreds of people, largely Pakistani Americans, in Bellevue, Musharraf said the Taliban’s brand of Islamic extremism poses a serious threat to the nation.

“We need to ask ourselves, do we or don’t we want a Taliban and Al Qaeda culture in Pakistan … because every action then flows from that decision,” Musharraf said.

Responding to a question, the former general said he would return to Pakistan only when he garners enough people support.

Reports regarding Musharraf, who is currently living in London on an ‘unannounced’ exile, coming back to Pakistan have been doing the rounds for the past year or so with the former general saying he would return if the country wants him to do so.

Musharraf, however, has not set a date for his return to Pakistan.

Some believe that he may never come back as he fears being prosecuted for imposing emergency in the state through unconstitutional steps in 2007. (ANI)