KARACHI, Oct 17: Mr Asif Ali Zardari, on Friday offered to play a role, in the national interest, in clearing political morass, if Gen Pervez Musharraf was willing to negotiate with the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), the strategy for the armed forces’ exit from the power corridors.

Mr Zardari made it clear that he would not strike any bargain with the regime, regarding his release.

Talking informally to newsmen in the central prison, after Justice Nizam murder case hearing on Friday, he expressed his concern over the security situation along Pakistan’s international borders, and claimed that majority of the armed forces were not in favour of being involved in power politics and wanted to return to the barracks.

He said that instead of using the armed forces for implementing his personal agenda, Gen Pervez Mushar-raf should make them professionally strong, other-wise the whole country would suffer.

Asked whether the PPP missed the chance of forming a government in collaboration with Gen Musharraf by remaining adamant, Mr Zardari said that despite all manipulations in Oct 2002 elections, the PPP got the maximum votes. According to democratic norms it was the party’s constitutional right to form government, he said, but alleged that Gen Musharraf wanted the politicians to serve his agenda.

He said that those who had bowed to the regime’s pressure, had got exposed before the whole country.

He deplored that chief of the army staff was representing the country at important forums like the UN General Assembly and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in place of the elected prime minister.

Mr Zardari said that he had been enduring coercive tactics of the regime and vow-ed not to compromise on principles.

Recounting the sacrifices made by the PPP leaders, he alleged that owing to the ‘wrong policies’ of the generals, the country had to face fragmentation, and claimed that Pakistan was made nuclear power by the PPP leadership.

Mr Zardari said it would not be right to blame the whole institution of the army for the misdeeds of a few self-seeking people and emphasised the need for proving those elements wrong, who were claiming that by 2025 the country would be further divided.