NEW YORK, Aug 12: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has said that the nagging uniform issue will eventually go to the court, since there is a disagreement on the matter.
In an interview with Dawn on Saturday, she declined to say whether the issue was a deal breaker, saying: “We have a point of view on this issue and the government has its own point of view. This matter will end up in the court. The court will have to resolve this issue.”
Expressing renewed confidence in the Supreme Court, Ms Bhutto said: “We expect the court will give an unbiased and just decision.”
Reiterating that there could be no compromise on what she termed ‘the core issue of uniform,’ Ms Bhutto said that any deal with President Musharraf was predicated on him taking certain confidence-building measures as soon as possible. Saying that there was, in fact, an agreement on her return to Pakistan, she said the timing was an unresolved issue.
She said she was aware of the criticism directed at her for having a dialogue with a military dictator, and asserted that as the leader of a party dedicated to resolving contentious problems through peaceful means she had entered into negotiations for restoration of democracy. The PPP had also held similar negotiations with the regime in 2002 but they did not succeed.
The PPP, she said, believed in dialogue and it would keep its doors open for political negotiations. In this regard, she cited the example of South African leader Nelson Mandela who, despite being kept in jail for 27 years, never called off talks with the apartheid regime.
She declined to comment on President Musharraf’s recent comments that neither Ms Bhutto nor her former rival Nawaz Sharif would be allowed to return to the country immediately.
Ms Bhutto reflected that military regimes had always brought disasters -- Gen Yahya Khan’s actions led to the country’s dismemberment, Gen Ziaul Haq promoted sectarianism that led to religious fanaticism and the present military regime saw the phenomenon of suicide bombers.
She said one of her priorities would be to rid the country of militant factions which had spawned the ‘suicide bombers’ who undermined the integrity of the country. “There is no place for suicide bombers in Islam and they have been misguided.” Addressing a large gathering of Pakistanis under auspices of the Pakistan League of America at a hotel here, Ms Bhutto said her top priority would be to return to the ideals of the party and better the lot of the poor masses.
“Where has all the money given to Pakistan by the United States to fight militants gone?” she asked. “The lot of the people of Pakistan continues to be miserable,” she observed.
“Roti, Kapra aur Makan will be our slogan again,” she said.
The PPP leader laid stress on strengthening the country’s institutions to promote rule of law and instil confidence among the people that they would get justice.
