Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – President General Pervez Musharraf must quit his military post if he is to continue as Pakistan's ruler, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said yesterday, after officials confirmed the two held secret talks on a possible power-sharing pact.
Bhutto, leader of Pakistan's largest opposition party and who is in exile in Dubai, also said she was interested in returning home to become premier for a third time if the opportunity presented itself.
In several interviews yesterday, Bhutto neither confirmed nor denied she held talks with Musharraf in a meeting that officials said took place on Friday in the UAE.
Musharraf, who returned overnight from a two-day visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, was also silent on the issue.
But Ms Bhutto said her Pakistan People's Party had long been in talks with the government about restoring civilian rule.
“We have already said that our negotiations are going on and we have achieved forward movement on some matters,” she told a TV station. “But there are some matters on which there are two opinions and we have to look further into these issues.” For instance, we “do not accept President Musharraf in uniform . . . . Our stand is that, and I stick to my stand.”
In expressing her interest in becoming prime minister again, she said that if “the people of Pakistan vote for me, certainly I would like to take on that job.”
However, if an agreement does come about, the government will have to amend the law that bars assuming the office of the prime minister more than twice.
