ISLAMABAD: General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has summoned various politicians, who have been part of the previous regime under him or were considered close to him, for consultations on the prospects of cases against him in the higher courts, a source told our sources.
“Some of the Musharraf’s aides have already left for London while some will be departing soon to meet him.”The source pointed out that NWFP chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Amir Muqam, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his family, Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha and the son and daughter of Musharraf have already left for London. He said that Musharraf was also in touch with his close confidant and former National Security Council secretary Tariq Aziz and former minister for information and broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani. Nisar Memon, another close aide of Musharraf, would be leaving for London this week, he added.
When contacted by our sources, senior PML-Q leader Kamil Ali Agha claimed that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and his family had proceeded to Britain to see the newborn son of Chaudhry Moonis Elahi. He said he believed that keeping in view the differences that had emerged between Musharraf and the Chaudhrys, there was no reason for contacts between them.
Similarly, when asked about his contacts with Musharraf, Senator Durrani said he had no contact with the former president.When contacted via phone, Nisar Memon did not answer questions of this correspondent and talked very carefully, but that too off the record.
Iqbal Dar, one of the dissident leaders of the PML-Q, confirmed to our sources that Hamid Nasir Chattha had left for London and was likely to have a meeting with Musharraf. “Mian Nawaz Sharif has already made his mind clear about the trial of Musharraf while the former president seems relaxed and is preparing to counter any such move,” the source remarked.
Responding to a question of our sources about the demand of Nawaz with regard to formation of a commission to probe into the Kargil conflict, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) spokesperson MNA Fauzia Wahab said that Kargil was not an issue for the PPP government.
She said the PPP had no fears and wanted to solve all the problems with public support and consensus inside parliament.“A probe commission cannot be appointed just to please an individual. If the formation of a commission on the Kargil issue is needed, there should also be commissions on the Lal Masjid operation, freezing of the foreign currency accounts in 1998, initiation of the Qarz Utaro, Mulk Sanwaro scheme and sacking of a large number of employees,” the PPP spokesperson said.
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