KARACHI/ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Although Gen Pervez Musharraf has quit his army post, former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto says she is not in a hurry to accept him as a civilian leader.

“We welcome President Pervez Musharraf taking off his uniform and quitting the army as one of our key demands, but we are not in a hurry to accept him as a civilian president. We’ll take any decision in this regard after detailed deliberations keeping in view all the aspects involved,” Ms Bhutto told reporters on Wednesday before leaving Karachi for Islamabad.

She said she believed the military would benefit from the quitting of the army command by Gen Musharraf because it would now have a commander who would be able to devote full time to armed forces affairs.

Although there are indications that the PPP has decided to contest the coming general elections, Ms Bhutto tried to keep the people guessing about it and reiterated her offer for talks with Pakistan Muslim Leaguer(N) chief Nawaz Sharif.

In the capital, PPP leaders termed Gen Musharraf’s retirement as army chief a “welcome move” and a victory of democratic forces but called for more steps to ensure free and fair elections in the country.

Addressing a news conference, the party’s secretary general Raja Pervez Ashraf said the uniform issue had now been settled and now the regime must take steps to ensure independent, free and fair elections in the country.

He said the decision of Gen Musharraf to doff his army uniform was a result of the struggle waged by PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, lawyers and members of the civil society.