Musharraf to Partner with Political Parties Struggling Against the Pakistan Status-Quo

Wife of President Musharraf Ms. Sehba Musharraf, Former President of Pakistan General Retired Pervez Musharraf, APML Patron Javed Anwar of Midland Energy, Inc., Coordinator of Houston APML Attorney Noami Hussain (speaking); and Coordinator of North America APML Dr. Naseem Ashraf…

Former President of Pakistan General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf addressed the local Pakistani media, his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) members & patrons in Texas USA at a posh Galleria Restaurant, where among others, his lobbyist in USA Stephen Prentiss Payne was also present.

Some of the notable APML members and patrons present were Javed Anwar of Midland Energy, Coordinator of North America APML Dr. Naseem Ashraf, Coordinator of Houston APML Attorney Noami Hussain, and Secretary of Houston APML Saeed Sheikh.

Talking to the media directly, Musharraf said when he took over the administration of the government, there used to be only Pakistan Television (PTV) mic in front of him, but now politicians and others have 70s of mics: “Do you think a dictator would have ever done that?”

He said dictatorship is not in the uniform that one may be wearing: It is a mind set and his policies of opening up the society and making media independent, clearly show that he was and is not a dictator.

Musharraf said there is a word “Niyah” in Urdu and Arabic, and intentions is not the word to explain it: He said true meaning of Niyah is very difficult to explain in any language: It is a very deep word and good Niyah for a strong Pakistan is the driving force for him to consider entering politics; otherwise he is leading an excellent life, delivering lectures, getting well-paid of that, where his interest for his speaking tour circuits are protected by the famous Harry Walker Agency, Inc.: With this good Niyah for better Pakistan, he is going to abandon his present easy life and return to Pakistan, where in the past, there have been attempts against his life and recent years have seen political figures and other Pakistanis being killed.

He said all media outlets need to support any leader in Pakistan for the sake of Pakistan’s future, whomever they think is the person who truly believes in “Pakistan First”, but if the media is opposing someone, they need to do that in respectful and responsible manner.

Dr. Naseem Ashraf informed that during his recent trip to Washington DC, Musharraf met with around 25 Congress-persons.

Musharraf said that after meeting with many political figures from Pakistan in Dubai & London, he has decided to return to Pakistan, landing in Lahore on March 23rd, 2012.

According to schedule, the Elections in Pakistan are in January or February of 2013, which would mean that as per the rules & regulations the present government to be dissolved in October or November 2012 and then an interim government conducting the elections with hopefully an independent election commission.

Musharraf said he is willing to make alliances with parties that are against the status-quo.

People over there while discussing this point, had general feeling that most interestingly those parties, which did not take part in the last elections like Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Jamat-e-Islami, and some others, are the most well known and vocal parties now-a-days against the status-quo.

So question is will he try to establish an alliance with these parties or will these parties ever like to have an alliance with APML?

As they say, in politics and life, everything is possible.

May be the alliance will not be done during the elections, but most likely after-wards with one or more such parties.

Among these parties, Tehreek-e-Insaaf although has been very much against Musharraf’s Administration policies, but recently Tehreek-e-Insaaf has openly admired his power devolving policy of taking government to the grassroots levels in Pakistan, which was abolished by the present Government.

Also recently Musharraf was on a talk show, where the host Umer Sharif said that in Pakistan, PMs do not have long term tenures, while Presidents always do better in terms of at least having long-term tenures.

Plus Musharraf does not have a good constituency to run for a seat in the parliament.

As such his best bet will be to have enough people of credentials from Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam & Nawaz Sharif Groups joining APML (people like Marvi Memon), who at local levels can win elections and then his party getting enough seats to make a coalition government with some other party or parties, where he will try to be accepted as the President and other party candidate becoming PM.

However all this is extremely difficult to happen, with so many arrest warrants against Musharraf Sahab. Can he get any clemency?

Again in politics and life, especially in a country like Pakistan, where things like NRO can happen, anything is possible?

In the mean time, it seems the way things are being handled in Karachi and elsewhere, the PPPP Government is trying very hard that their government gets dissolved sometimes this year, so that they can go back to people and get the sympathy vote saying it always happen with PPPP that the hidden hand(s) never let them finish their tenures.

Lets’ see if all this will at all happen, in a most complex Pakistani society and political arena.

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