October 24, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 30, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has said President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s recent interview and excerpts from his book endorse the fact that he was behind the formation of the PML and PPP Patriots.

In response to President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s recent interview to a private TV channel and PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s statement, Mr Rabbani said the president had endorsed the creation of PML-Q and Patriots.

He said holding of free, fair and transparent elections under Gen Musharraf was not possible. The PML will disappear from the scene once fair and transparent polls are held, he said.

He observed that all the PML meetings concerning internal party differences were presided over by Gen Musharraf.

The PPP leader said keeping the prevailing circumstances in view, free and fair elections could not take place.

This idea has gained impetus by the statement President Musharraf gave in the TV interview stressing that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would not be allowed to return to the country as it would cause political instability.

Mr Rabbani observed that a few days back President Musharraf announced that only those would be allowed to cast their votes who had the new computerised NIC. How can transparent elections take place under such circumstances, he added.

Many voters who do not have the new NIC will be deprived of casting their votes. He said Benazir Bhutto had no need of taking appointment for a meeting with Musharraf. If Musharraf wants to meet he can ask for an appointment.

He claimed that Benazir Bhutto would become the prime minister of the country for the third time.

Ahsan Iqbal: Secretary Information Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Monday said that General Musharraf’s claim that he alone would decide when to quit was a proof that Pakistan was being ruled by a military dictator under whom no institution had any role to play in the national affairs.

“Pakistan is today more dysfunctional in term of functioning of its national institutions than it ever was. People have lost faith with the judiciary, parliament has been made a rubber-stamp and the executive has been brutalised by favouritism and cronyism. Gen Musharraf has himself admitted that the federation has become weaker during his tenure,” he said.

Ahsan Iqbal said that Musharraf’s claim that parliament was about to complete its constitutional term was absurd, as the present parliament could not be compared with the previous parliaments.

“Gen Musharraf keeps saying that he had informed Nawaz Sharif about Kargil operation but at the same time refuses to set up an independent commission to investigate the matter. This proves that the general is not telling the truth.” he said.

According to Gen Musharraf’s own account the first military operation briefing was held on 17th May, 1999, while Kargil Operation was launched sometime late in 1998, the PML-N leader said.

He said General Musharraf had no intention of holding fair and free elections, which was evident from his assertion that he would not allow Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to return.

He said PML-N will launch a countrywide movement in partnership with the civil society and other political parties to mobilise the nation in support of free and fair elections and develop a national plan of action to check rigging in the next elections.