Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today said he will accept the Supreme Court’s decision on former Premier Nawaz Sharif’s petition seeking an end to his exile but still opposed his and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto’s return before the general elections to be held in the next three months. The beleaguered General, whose decision to get elected by the existing Assemblies is being vehemently objected to by the Opposition, said that after his re-election for a five year term, he would also get an “endorsement” from the new assemblies to be formed after the general elections. After recent setbacks, including the reinstatement of Supreme Court Chief Justice last month, Musharraf told a delegation of the representatives of All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) that Bhutto, Sharif, his brother Shabaz and the president of the Muttahida Quami Movement Altaf Hussain, who lives in London, should not return home before the general elections. “It was necessary for conducive political atmosphere that Bhutto, Sharif and Hussain do not return to the country,” Musharraf was quoted by the state-run PTV as saying. However, the government will accept whatever is decided by the court in the case of Sharif brothers who filed a petition in the Supreme Court, he said. He said Sharif is out of the country as a result of a deal and added that its draft would be submitted to the court if it asks for it. Musharraf said presidential and general elections would be held in the next three months and he was keen to hold free and fair polls. On the speculation about the imposition of Emergency, Musharraf said he had decided against it even though some of his advisers had proposed it. However, he denied that he took the decision due to external or internal pressures and termed the reports that he decided against imposing Emergency after receiving a phone call from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as wrong and baseless. Musharraf said he has decided to attend the meeting of joint Pak-Afghan jirga (council of tribal elders) being held in Kabul at the request of Rice and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. He skipped its inaugural meeting three days ago.
