Benazir offer to Musharraf

NEW DELHI, APRIL 18. The chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Ms. Benazir Bhutto, today indicated that her party was ready to nominate the Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf, as her party candidate for the presidential election, if the latter consented to it.

Ms. Bhutto who presided over her party's executive committee meeting in London on Tuesday told the BBC (Urdu) that if Gen. Musharraf cherished to be the President of the country then he would have to contest the election as a party candidate.

She said Gen. Musharraf could not continue to be the Army chief as well as President (like late Gen. Zia-ul-Haq). She said her party could consider his candidature provided he applied for it. She hurriedly added that so far he had made no such request. Ms. Bhutto however did not explain the basis of this indirect offer to Gen. Musharraf.

Military rulers in Pakistan have traditionally enjoyed the support of the Muslim League. Field Marshal Ayub Khan and then Gen. Zia-Ul-Haq ruled Pakistan for about 12 years each with the Muslim League's support and now Gen. Musharraf is said to be behind the split of the Nawaz Muslim League to carve out a faction for his political base.

Ms. Bhutto declined to comment on Gen. Musharraf's reported move to amend the constitution saying so far nothing was known what he wanted to amend.

However Ms. Bhutto evaded a direct reply to questions about her plans to return to Pakistan.

- UNI

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