ISLAMABAD: Military dictator-turned-politician Pervez Musharraf on Satu­rday clarified that he had not quit politics but had only resigned as chairman of his party, the All Pakistan Mus­lim League (APML), “after due legal consultation”.

In a video message released by the APML, the former military dictator asked party workers to support the new chairman of the APML, Dr Muhammad Amjad, and Mehreen Malik Adam, the general secretary.

Mr Musharraf said he had a strong desire to return to the country but had decided to stay away due to three reasons.

“For my return to the country, I required three things: that I should be allowed to take part in the election, that my name should not be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) and that I should not be arrested,” he said.

Mr Musharraf, who ruled the country from 1999 to 2008 after staging a military coup as an army chief, asked his party candidates to go into the elections with full zeal. “Good times will come and we will then decide accordingly,” he said.

He said there were certain rumours circulating after his resignation as party chairperson, which is why he had to “personally explain in this regard.”

The self-exiled former military dictator said the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had issued a decision regarding the disqualification of Khawaja Asif that was nullified by the Supreme Court.

“I was also disqualified by a high court bench from contesting the elections but the Supreme Court did not nullify the decision like it did in Khawaja Asif’s case,” he regretted.

Similarly, he said, the name of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif had not been placed on the ECL, and he continued to travel to London and address public gatherings all over the country.

“I also required that liberty,” he said.

The former army chief said the Supreme Court had declared that he would not be arrested till he arrived at the court, “but the court did not clarify that if I would not be arrested after that. These three issues were impeding my way back to the country. If my movements could be restricted upon my return to the country, what I could have done for my party?”

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2018