Pakistan Ex-PM Bhutto’s Party Says Deal With Musharraf “Political Suicide”

Text of report by Shahnawaz Khan headlined: “Musharraf a coward, says Gen Babar” published by Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website on 11 September

Islamabad: President General Pervez Musharraf is a ‘coward’, who has committed a shameful act by sending PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz faction] chief Nawaz Sharif back into exile in defiance of the Supreme Court verdict, former interior minister and PPP [Pakistan People Party] leader Maj Gen (r) Naseerullah Babar, told a private TV channel on Monday [10 September].

He was commenting on the daylong developments regarding Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan and his deportation.

“The president cannot withstand pressure and has deported Nawaz Sharif while denying him his basic right as a citizen of Pakistan in defiance of the Supreme Court verdict,” Babar said. The PPP leader said people of Pakistan would react and protest against this shameful act of Musharraf.

Babar also opposed any deal by his party with Musharraf, saying it would be a political suicide. “This man is not only a coward but also corrupt and to cooperate with him will be a political suicide,” he said to a question about reports of his part in brokering a deal with Musharraf. He said PPP founder late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had not sacrificed his life so that his successors brokered deals with dictators.

Originally published by Daily Times website, Lahore, in English 11 Sep 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.