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'Revenge of Benazir'

 

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You and your coalition partner Nawaz Sharif were united in the cause of removing Musharraf. Now that he is gone, do you think you will remain united?
We are hoping to be united. I want everybody to own the problems that we face: we haven't inherited a stable Pakistan; we haven't inherited a good economy; we haven't inherited a very nice situation on our borders. And all that needs to be addressed, and for that we need a government of reconciliation.

Reportedly, you don't favor reinstating former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, and Sharif does. What is your position on the chief justice?
I personally am in favor of the chief justice, but there is a position in the party, which says that he has become too politicized in the last many months and he has been leading rallies.

How do you think Musharraf's resignation affects the U.S. relationship with Pakistan?
I think the American relationship with Pakistan stays the same. The experiment with the general has failed. Therefore, the U.S. has decided to support the democratic forces. [The civilian government] will have issues, will be weak for the moment, but we will learn from our mistakes, and we will go on and we will improve. That is the journey that the country and the people have to take to make a strong democracy. 

You must be sorry Benazir did not live to see this day.
It's the vacuum that has been created by the martyrdom of my late wife that has sparked the [new situation] in Pakistan. She said in her book, "My death will be the catalyst of the change."

Do you hold Musharraf responsible for her death?
I hold Musharraf responsible for not providing her with enough security but I cannot pinpoint Musharraf because I need a proper inquiry. I need the United Nations to look into the affair. But we are not looking to punish individuals. We are looking to create a new system, a new democratic Pakistan. I think her life meant the struggle for democracy and if democracy comes about, that will be the real revenge for her martyrdom.

You spent eleven and a half years in jail. Did you ever think you would see the day when you might become president of Pakistan?
I still don't think like that. Because of Benazir, nobody else [in her party] was thinking about leadership. This position comes about only because of the vacuum that was created with her death.

Would you like to see Musharraf exiled?
Personally I would like him to be around and see us flourish in Pakistan and make Pakistan a success story. I think that would be the revenge of Benazir Bhutto.

What is the relationship of the PPP and Nawaz Sharif with the military?
I think the military has come full circle and they are going to be following the Constitution ... They have realized that their business is not to govern.

So you think they will actually submit to a civilian government?
Yes, I definitely think so. If they had really interfered, then Musharraf could have become a [sticky] issue.

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: Sultan Ahmed @ 09/05/2008 8:10:12 PM

    It is right to say
    there is agreement
    in between,
    agreement between two persons,
    on their role,played in the past not at present,
    can be said with full criminalty.

    As a minister,
    in the cabnit of his own wife,
    and broke all the records,
    by committing corruptions and called Mr.10 pc,
    illegal gratification was received by him,
    from the small factory owners.

    there were some items like gold etc,
    on which commission was imposed as ten percent,
    it was special tex had no concern with any covernment institution,
    as a minister under the cover of prime minister,
    and prime minister was his wife.

    You can say agreement,
    you cansay,
    it is no agreement,
    i describe it a conspiracy,
    against the whole nation,
    all the crime including heroin casehas been deleted,
    and aquitted him all the charges,
    he did nothing for the nation,
    but going to become head of the islamic state,
    there is no concept of such a man like him,
    really a conspiracy has been hatched aginst the nation,
    looking what is going on happened never think so.

    It has been done for safe exit,
    there was no way out for Musharraf,
    every corner was occupied by the unconstitutional action,
    as he did by declaring emergency on 3th November 2008.
    Iftekhar choudhery had become a nightmare for him,
    he came in the dreams and a brave general began crying for safe exit,
    In the meanwile ,
    ppp appeared as majority party,
    so two criminal met eachother,
    and succeed to save eachothers.

  • Posted By: VGJoseph @ 08/27/2008 1:08:28 AM

    Making Zardari the President will subject him to more scrutiny than otherwise. In any event, he was manipulating matters from behind the scene. Setting a thief to catch other thieves is not a bad idea. Not that the people of Pakistan have many choices. www.winnowed.blogspot.com

  • Posted By: saj_alex@yahoo.com @ 08/26/2008 3:20:34 PM

    Zardari is a true joker, and with the power of a newly invigorated presidential office, "the joker is wild".
    Pakistan's best hope is now Kiyani and the Army once again

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