ISLAMABAD, April 6: Former prime minister and chairperson Pakistan People’s Party, Benazir Bhutto, has said that Gen Musharraf has declared “war on democracy” by seeking office “through the back door”.
Under articles of the Pakistani constitution, the houses of parliament are to elect the president, she said.
She asked Musharraf to explain what he would do when the people of the country rejected him at the proposed referendum. “Gen Musharraf must commit to resign following a defeat in the referendum and hand over power to the Chief Justice of the country’s apex court”.
Benazir Bhutto said that the “illegal referendum” that Musharraf had resorted to was a challenge that the people of Pakistan must accept. “In rejecting him through vote or boycott, as directed by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, the people could turn the table on the military dictator”.
She said people must unite on the single platform of “Go Musharraf Go. No Musharraf No”.
“I would soon be amongst the people”.
Benazir Bhutto said that by declaring opposition to the right of elected prime ministers to go before the people, Gen Musharraf showed that he was frightened of the verdict of the people. She said she did not care for power because governments come and go. “What is important is to be in the hearts of the people and I am thankful to Almighty God that people of Pakistan love and support me.”
“I have every intention of contesting the elections as provided by law even if, after locking up the husband, the General is threatening to lock up the wife”.
Benazir said Musharraf was resorting to abuse, which “ill behoves the office he holds,” by maligning elected representatives. Rejecting what she called the “politically-motivated corruption charges”, she said that Musharraf’s campaign against her party and herself were gross violations of human rights and criminal investigative process.
She asked Musharraf to look in the mirror before he accused those “he has exiled or imprisoned” by misusing his authority as army chief.
The former premier said Musharraf was drunk with power because he thought that he was indispensable in the eyes of the West. She said that the international community had committed itself to fair elections, which were necessary to prevent the blowback syndrome as experienced in Afghanistan. In this connection, she welcomed the statement of the Commonwealth that the referendum was not part of the roadmap of democracy.
Ms Bhutto said that Musharraf’s rejection at the referendum could facilitate the transfer of power to a government of national consensus under the Chief Justice of Pakistan. She hoped that the political parties would unite when Musharraf was rejected at the referendum and the military, judiciary, bureaucracy and Election Commission would take the side dictated by the constitution, and the will of the people.
“A man blinded by power simply because of the West’s strategic need for Islamabad’s support, had little right to trample the laws and constitution of the country”.
She said it was legal for people to build houses from their own business and savings but not at state expense “that Musharraf is doing.” She asked Musharraf to make public the number of contracts and the billions of rupees that had been allotted without tender or due process.
She said that houses were nothing compared to the blood of the soldiers of Pakistan that had been shed due to the ill-conceived Kargil policy.
“The blood of our soldiers is precious and we have the right to ask about accountability of those that shed that national wealth through ill-conceived policies.” She demanded accountability for the blood of the Afghans who died since Musharraf took over. “Musharraf’s ill-conceived policy of support to the Taliban culminated in the bombing of their unfortunate country.”
