Musharraf’s new party receiving ‘overwhelming’ response, claims aide

PESHAWAR - Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf ’s newly formed party- All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)- is receiving ‘overwhelming’ response from the public in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and people from all strata of society are eager to join the party, an aide to the former president has claimed.

“The APML has already been launched officially. We have started its organisational and membership campaign, and got an overwhelming response from the people,” The News quoted Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, convener of the Musharraf-led political party, as saying.

Informing that they had applied for the registration of the party in March 2010, Saif said that Musharraf would announce his political vision and programme on October 1, and also pointed out that APML’s manifesto was clear from its name, that it would be Islamic and not secular.

Musharraf’s spokesman Rashid Qureshi said that there was a serious leadership crisis in the country and only Musharraf could steer it out of problems.

“Musharraf is an upright person. He is really concerned about Pakistan and wants to serve the nation in this hour of trial,” he argued, adding that there were no corruption charges against the former ruler, and during his era the country was making progress in all sectors.

Musharraf announced a ten million rupees aid from his own pocket towards the relief of flood victims and also collected a sum of 260 million rupees through a telethon, added Qureshi.

Talking of legal implications for Musharraf on his return to Pakistan, Saif stressed, “There are only two cases - killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and keeping judges in Islamabad habeas corpus - against him, which would be defended in the court of law upon his return to the country.”

“As far as Article 6 is concerned, if any case is moved against him we will devise a strategy to defend him at that time,” he added.

Pakistan People’s Party’s Secretary General- Jehangir Badr- had recently said that Musharraf could be arrested over many criminal cases against him on his return to the country. (ANI)