Islamabad:
Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was given a "safeexit" after his resignation last year because of a negotiatedsettlement guaranteed by "international and local" stakeholders,President Asif Ali Zardari has disclosed.
All "international and local powers" having stakes in the region were"guarantors" of Musharraf's negotiated resignation, Zardari said,adding he participated in the negotiations that led to the formerPresident's resignation in August last year.
"I remained part of the negotiations and I hope that General PervezMusharraf will play golf," he told reporters at an 'iftar' dinnerhosted by him at the presidency on Monday night.
Zardari did not name the international and local players that acted asguarantors for the settlement but said jokingly that they had decidedthat "Musharraf would play golf in his post-presidential life."
Though he did not give further details, Zardari tacitly conceded thatMusharraf could not be tried for treason as is being demanded by someopposition parties, especially the PML-N of former Premier Nawaz Sharif.
The possibility of Musharraf being tried for treason has arisen afterthe Supreme Court recently declared the emergency imposed by him in2007 as unconstitutional and illegal.
Musharraf has been living outside Pakistan since mid-April, when hewent abroad to deliver a series of lectures. The Saudi royal family hasreportedly been involved in efforts to pressure PML-N chief Sharif notto insist on Musharraf's trial.
Legal experts believe Musharraf's trial would involve a number ofpeople, including politicians, Generals and judges, who supported hisactions and this, could lead to embarrassing disclosures.
Asked about Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's comment thatMusharraf's trial is not suitable, Zardari said this question should beput to the Premier. "I am the President of Pakistan and will not makeany comment on the Prime Minister's statement," he said.
Zardari said the ruling Pakistan People's Party always opposeddictators and had never accepted Musharraf as President. "The PPP hastaken revenge through democracy and removed the dictator from thePresidency," he said.
He outlined plans for the formation of a 'Truth and ReconciliationCommission' to promote the process of national healing and unity.Zardari said he would ask the Prime Minister to establish such a body.
"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be headed by (leading rights activist) Asma Jehangir," he added.
Replying to a question, Zardari said the PPP-led government will fulfill its constitutional tenure of five years.
Zardari said Prime Minister Gilani is the country's chief executive and he only advises him in his capacity as chief of the PPP.
In response to another question, he said there were similarities in thedeaths of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his sons Shahnawaz andMurtaza Bhutto and former premier and his wife Benazir Bhutto.
"Anti-democratic forces were involved in the assassination of the Bhutto family. We were not against
individuals but the thinking that creates such kind of incidents," he said.
When Zardari's attention was drawn to Home Minister P Chidambaram'scomments in the US about terrorism emanating from Pakistan, thePresident said his upcoming visit to America would not be affected bythe "Indian propaganda".
Responding to another question, Zardari claimed that theself-governance package for the Northern Areas was promulgated tofulfill longstanding demands of the people of the region.
All "international and local powers" having stakes in the region were"guarantors" of Musharraf's negotiated resignation, Zardari said,adding he participated in the negotiations that led to the formerPresident's resignation in August last year.
"I remained part of the negotiations and I hope that General PervezMusharraf will play golf," he told reporters at an 'iftar' dinnerhosted by him at the presidency on Monday night.
Zardari did not name the international and local players that acted asguarantors for the settlement but said jokingly that they had decidedthat "Musharraf would play golf in his post-presidential life."
Though he did not give further details, Zardari tacitly conceded thatMusharraf could not be tried for treason as is being demanded by someopposition parties, especially the PML-N of former Premier Nawaz Sharif.
The possibility of Musharraf being tried for treason has arisen afterthe Supreme Court recently declared the emergency imposed by him in2007 as unconstitutional and illegal.
Musharraf has been living outside Pakistan since mid-April, when hewent abroad to deliver a series of lectures. The Saudi royal family hasreportedly been involved in efforts to pressure PML-N chief Sharif notto insist on Musharraf's trial.
Legal experts believe Musharraf's trial would involve a number ofpeople, including politicians, Generals and judges, who supported hisactions and this, could lead to embarrassing disclosures.
Asked about Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's comment thatMusharraf's trial is not suitable, Zardari said this question should beput to the Premier. "I am the President of Pakistan and will not makeany comment on the Prime Minister's statement," he said.
Zardari said the ruling Pakistan People's Party always opposeddictators and had never accepted Musharraf as President. "The PPP hastaken revenge through democracy and removed the dictator from thePresidency," he said.
He outlined plans for the formation of a 'Truth and ReconciliationCommission' to promote the process of national healing and unity.Zardari said he would ask the Prime Minister to establish such a body.
"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be headed by (leading rights activist) Asma Jehangir," he added.
Replying to a question, Zardari said the PPP-led government will fulfill its constitutional tenure of five years.
Zardari said Prime Minister Gilani is the country's chief executive and he only advises him in his capacity as chief of the PPP.
In response to another question, he said there were similarities in thedeaths of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his sons Shahnawaz andMurtaza Bhutto and former premier and his wife Benazir Bhutto.
"Anti-democratic forces were involved in the assassination of the Bhutto family. We were not against
individuals but the thinking that creates such kind of incidents," he said.
When Zardari's attention was drawn to Home Minister P Chidambaram'scomments in the US about terrorism emanating from Pakistan, thePresident said his upcoming visit to America would not be affected bythe "Indian propaganda".
Responding to another question, Zardari claimed that theself-governance package for the Northern Areas was promulgated tofulfill longstanding demands of the people of the region.
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