There Was A Deal For Musharraf’s Exit: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday for the first time disclosed the deal between the PPP government and the international guarantors to give a safe passage to the former President Pervez Musharraf after his resignation from the office of President.

In an informal chat with senior media persons at an Iftar dinner hosted by him at the Presidency, Zardari said he was also part of the deal with local and international guarantors, which provided a safe passage to the former President. “It was unanimously decided in the deal that Musharraf will spend his remaining days playing golf,” he remarked.

Commenting on the role of the international guarantors in the deal, he said that they might have their own interests in the region and therefore they were ‘more than active’. He claimed the PPP had never accepted Musharraf as a legal president of the country, adding that the deal was struck with Musharraf in the “larger national interest”.

The President also suggested the formation of a ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ for lessening the deprivation of provinces and national stability. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairwoman Asma Jahangir would be head the Commission after its approval by the Parliament.

Commenting on the reports about the rampant corruption in the government departments, Zardari said that some people were trying to destabilise the democratic government of PPP, adding that those people were also defaming politicians, To a question, he said his up-coming US visit would not be affected due to the India’s anti Pakistan propaganda.

According to him, those who give anti-politicians statements are enemies of democracy. To a question, the President said that the ‘minus one formula’ would not be successful as long as there is a President like Farooq Laghari in the country.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP’s Secretary General Jahangir Badar, PPP’s Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab and senior officials of the Ministry of Information also attended the Iftar dinner.

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There Was A Deal For Musharraf’s Exit: Zardari was first posted on September 15, 2009 at 9:45 am.
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