Musharraf, Bhutto, Sharif: self before Pakistan

POWER PLAY: Bhutto went about giving interviews that would help US put pressure on Musharraf.

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Rajdeep Sardesai

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• Bhutto, Sharif to fight Musharraf
• Sharif, Benazir in a virtual race to return to Pak
• Sharif rules out deal with Musharraf

Keywords: Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto

Who’s left? The lawyers candidate, Wajihuddin, who is only standing to challenge Musharraf in court, and Musharraf’s cover candidate, Chairman of the Senate, Muhammad Mian Soomro. So, quite obviously, this abstention of the PPP is only going to help Soomro come second.

If the PPP had resigned, it would have been a clear indication of being with the opposition, and it would have seriously questioned the legitimacy of the Musharraf’s election. Now, it’s only an eye-wash.

For Musharraf to consider the ordinance that would forgive her sins of omission and commission in Pakistan, she desperately went around the world giving interviews, saying anything that would help the US put pressure on Gen Musharraf.

She said things loathe to Musharraf but dear to the US. For instance, allowing access to discredited nuclear scientist AQ Khan and allowing US forces to hit Al Qaeda within Pakistan’s borders. How can the people of Pakistan trust her?

Nawaz Sharif:

The less said about him the better. It is Nawaz Sharif who had challenged the Pakistan Supreme court when he was Prime Minister. It is Nawaz Sharif who brought those cases against Benazir that Musharraf is now leveraging to get the PPP, not to resign.

And after protesting any suggestion of a deal with Saudi Arabia, he admits that indeed there was one, although only for five years, and not 10, but one he did not object to or raise questions about in any public forum for 7 long years.

His claims that he never knew about Kargil have not only been vehemently denied by Musharraf, but there is also Gohar Ayub’s book that gives a detailed account of the meeting where Nawaz was briefed. And now he’s willing to institute an inquiry into the Kargil conflict, once he returns to Pakistan.

Given this picture, there is little option in front of the people of Pakistan. The Supreme Court is the only hope, although there are many pulls and pressures there as well. And we will not know which way the wind is blowing, until at least the 17th, when hearings resume.