By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military ruler, says he plans to return to the country and create a new political party, in a move designed to propel him back into high office.
General Musharraf had to resign as president and leave Pakistan in 2008 to avoid impeachment by a parliamentary panel after a series of clashes with the country’s legal establishment.
“I certainly am planning to go back to Pakistan and also join politics,” Mr Musharraf told CNN. “The question of whether I am running for president or prime minister will be seen later.”
In Islamabad, a former aide to Mr Musharraf said, he would return to head a new party known as the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).
A Musharraf return from exile in Europe is likely to evoke a mixed reaction in the country which he ruled for nine years. Analysts warned that it could sharpen Pakistan’s civil-military divide and renew criticism of the army’s past role in politics. Pakistan has been ruled for more than half its 63 years of existence by the military. Link
