Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who has been living in self-exile for nearly four years, on Friday said he would return to Pakistan within a week of the formation of a caretaker administration later this month.
“As soon as the interim government is in place, which we believe will be on March 16, within a week of that I will go back to Pakistan,” Mr Musharraf told a news conference in Dubai. He said he planned to fly into either Karachi or Rawalpindi to end his self-exile. The Pakistan People’s Party-led government is set to complete its five-year term on March 16 and the ruling party and main Opposition PML-N party have begun negotiations on forming a caretaker set-up to supervise the next general election to be held by mid-May. He brushed aside questions on whether he would be arrested on his return in connection with several cases against him, including the case related to the assassination of former Premier Benazir Bhutto. “I don’t see any reason why I should be arrested,” he said in response to repeated questions on whether he would be detained on his homecoming. Musharraf said he would react only “in accordance with what happens at the airport”.
“There is no case against me in court. If I am to be punished for giving economic progress to Pakistan and for reducing unemployment... I am ready to face the courts,” he said.