Musharraf reaches Karachi

KARACHI, March 24: Former military ruler and current chief of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf landed in Karachi on Sunday.

He had earlier departed from Dubai airport where he accompanied by his wife Mrs Sehba Musharraf, who had arrived at the airport to see off the former president. Talking to media persons before embarking on his flight Musharraf said that the was aware of the fact that the NOC, granted for his rally scheduled to be held in Karachi today, was cancelled and added that cancellation of the NOC was acceptable only in case of security reasons.

He further said that he was aware of the latest threat issued by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in a video released a day earlier. At the press conference held earlier on Saturday, flanked by office-bearers of his party, the APML chief disclosed that he had been advised by the Saudi authorities not to return to Pakistan due to security concerns. An entire Emirates flight was booked for Karachi, which will leave Dubai at 10.40am (PST) and reach Karachi at 12.40pm.

The foreign media at large has disregarded the even of Musharraf’s return to Pakistann. A number of Pakistani journalists will be accompanying the former president on his homecoming whereas the foreign media will be represented only by the BBC.

In contrast, many foreign journalists had accompanied former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her journey from Dubai to Karachi that ended her exile. Pervez Musharraf came into power in a bloodless coup as army chief of staff in 1999. Following the elections in Feb 2008, he left the country after stepping down in August 2008, when Asif Ali Zardari was elected president after the murder of his wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.