LAHORE, Jan 14: Veteran PPP leader and the father-in-law of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Hakim Ali Zardari, warned on Saturday that the country’s unity faced a serious threat in case Gen Musharraf did not start a process of national reconciliation through which power could be transferred to the genuine representatives of the people.

In an interview with Dawn, he demanded Gen Musharraf should set up an interim government and an independent election commission to hold free and fair elections. He further demanded the National Accountability Bureau should be abolished along with all NAB courts, and all cases against the exiled political leaders be withdrawn. Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto, Mian Nawaz Sharif and former chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif should be allowed to return home and take part in the electoral process, Mr Zardari said before flying back to Karachi after a brief stay here.

Mr Zardari and his wife stayed with Syed Fakhr Imam and Begum Abida Husain.

When it was pointed out that Ms Bhutto and Mr Sharif appeared unwilling to reciprocate any positive gesture from Gen Musharraf because of which the process of national reconciliation he was proposing would remain a non-starter, Mr Zardari said people would condemn anybody not responding to the gravity of the situation.

Mr Zardari, who worked with leaders like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Wali Khan, Mir Ghaus Bux Bizenjo, Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, suggested Gen Musharraf should dissociate himself from the ruling PML and its leaders and change his policies for the greater good of the country.

Expressing concern over the prevailing unrest in various parts of the country, the PPP leader said smaller provinces no longer liked the word “Pakistan”. He said the future of the country was “not bright”. He said many people believed that Balochistan would become a part of Iran, NWFP would go with Afghanistan, Sindh with India and Punjab would merge itself with East Punjab and become part of India. “I see some truth in these speculations,” he said.

He indicated that the PPP could wait till 2007 for the next general elections. But he made it clear that the elections should be held under the supervision of an interim government and independent election commission.

He ridiculed assertions that the future of the PPP and Ms Benazir Bhutto was linked with the decision on a money laundering case against his daughter-in-law and son pending before a Swiss court. He said no case against the two could be proved during the past eight years despite the fact that the judges in Pakistan had taken oath under the PCO. He was of the firm opinion that the Swiss court would not give a verdict against the couple.

He said despite wasting billions of rupees in lawyers’ fees the government could not prove the allegations. He said instead of wasting more public money, the government should withdraw these cases immediately.

About the government’s plan to construct Kalabagh dam, the PPP leader said the assemblies of three provinces had already passed resolutions against the project after which there was no justification left for anyone to build the dam. In case the government still wanted to set up the project, he said, it should first get pro-dam resolutions adopted from the assemblies.

Mr Zardari said any bid to terrorise the people into accepting Kalabagh dam would enhance hatred against the project as well as the rulers. In his opinion it would be better to let some future government decide whether the project should be launched.

Responding to a question, he said he was in favour of an electoral alliance between the PPP and the PML-N. He urged all political parties to stop fighting against one another as their mutual conflicts had already weakened them and paved the way for military interventions.

About cooperation between the ARD and the MMA, Mr Zardari said it would be possible only if the alliance quitted the NWFP and Balochistan governments. Such a step alone could make it possible for the PPP leaders to convince its workers to cooperate with the religious parties.

He said the MMA had dealt a serious blow to the democratic struggle by extending cooperation to the ruling PML for the adoption of the 17th constitutional amendment.

He said he was once conveyed a message that if he wanted to save his son’s (Asif’s) life he should meet Gen Musharraf. But, he said, he flatly refused the offer, although his wife and daughters were willing to accept it. He said Bilawal was there in case he lost Asif and thus he would not compromise on his principles.

Answering another question, Mr Zardari said Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar was not in a position to advance the cause of the PPP because he had repeatedly changed his stance in the past. “He (Khar) has been repeatedly tested and tried and it will be wrong to try him again”, he said, implying that the former Punjab governor had no role to play in the PPP.—Ashraf Mumtaz