Presidentship can wait: Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, MAY 29. The Pakistan Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, today said he has not yet taken a final decision on taking over as President of the country and ruled out any future role in politics for former Prime Ministers, Ms. Benazir Bhutto and Mr. Nawaz Sharif.

``We have not yet taken any decision (about becoming president). There have to be certain national interests that have to be kept in mind to ensure continuity and sustainability of reforms and the restructuring we are doing,'' he said in an interview to the BBC.

Gen. Musharraf said he has to decide the methodology in ensuring his continuity at the helm. Asked whether he saw any role for Ms. Bhutto and Mr. Sharif in the future, the General said, ``I do not see at all. They have been tried and tested twice.''

Gen. Musharraf, however, said he has no differences with Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and Mr. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League. ``They are national parties and I have no problem with them.''

He described the decade of 1990s during which both of them alternatively ruled Pakistan ``a decade of disaster''. He said he saw no ``true'' opposition building up against him.

- PTI

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Section  : International
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