General takes n-cover from Emergency flak

Musharraf said that if elections were held in a “disturbed environment”, it could bring in dangerous elements who might pose a risk to control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

“They cannot fall into the wrong hands, if we manage ourselves politically. The military is there — as long as the military is there, nothing happens to the strategic assets, we are in charge and nobody does anything with them,” he said.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said later that Musharraf had not meant there was any danger that the weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

“He had argued that because the military organisation is responsible for their safety and security, our strategic assets are totally secure and in no danger of falling in wrong hands,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

In the interview conducted on Friday, Musharraf dismissed opposition leader Bhutto’s chances of winning elections. He blamed Bhutto, who has called for him to relinquish power, for ruining chances of a deal which would see her serving as Prime Minister under his Presidency.

“She disturbed the entire environment. She comes on a total confrontationalist approach,” Musharraf said. “It is she actually who may not be wanting elections in Pakistan and it is she who may want to go on to the agitational mode because her party is not in a state to win at all,” he said. “Therefore I will certainly go for the election despite of any agitation by her.”

He promised that political opponents would be released from house arrest “in a few days” but said he was considering all options regarding holding elections under Emergency rule.

Amidst stepped up US efforts to persuade the military ruler to restore democracy, Negroponte, US Deputy Secretary of State who is the highest-ranking American official to visit Pakistan since imposition of Emergency on November 3, met the military ruler and Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, who is to replace Musharraf as Army Chief once he doffs uniform.

Meanwhile, exiled former Premier Nawaz Sharif has rejected embattled President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal for a meeting in Saudi Arabia for discussions on ending the political crisis in Pakistan.

Raja Zafrul Haq, the Chairman of Sharif’s PML-N party, said the military regime had made “hectic” efforts to convene such a meeting over the past three days but the former Prime Minister refused to meet Musharraf.