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Have patience, Musharraf tells West

PARIS: Pakistan’s President General Pervez Musharraf in the first leg of a European tour said in Brussels on Monday elections in Pakistan would be transparent, free and fair. The President, who is to address Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said: “We must have fair and transparent elections. Whoever wins, obviously power will be handed over to them.”

But he also pleaded with the West to have “more patience” with his country’s fledgling democracy. “We are for democracy and I have introduced the essence of democracy, but we cannot be as forward looking as you are [in the West]. Allow us some time to reach that state.”

General (retd.) Musharraf’s trip which takes him to various European capitals — he will be in Paris on Tuesday – is a public relations exercise aimed at regaining some of his credibility severely dented in the eyes of European leaders over the past months.

General Musharraf, who is accompanied by Ministers of Trade and Finance, said foreigners and foreign companies were not the target of violence in Pakistan. Trade Minister Shahzada Alam Monnoo said talks with E.U. officials would include a call for a bilateral trade deal to allow more favourable terms for the import of Pakistani textiles, in particular bed linen and towels. Forty per cent of Pakistan’s trade is with the E.U. The country already enjoys certain textile export privileges granted when it was raised to the status of a “frontline state” in the war on terror in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Referring to elections to be held on February 18, the President said: “There is no possibility of it being rigged. Whatever bugs we have had in the system have been removed.” He also said he would not “deny forming a government to whichever party forms a majority.”

The Pakistani President said Islamist tribal leader and warlord Beithullah Mehsud had “targeted Benazir Bhutto, and also more suicide bombing are down to this man.”

On Tuesday, he will meet President Sarkozy in Paris and give a talk at the French Institute for International Relations. Mr. Sarkozy had dispatched his Foreign Minister to Pakistan immediately after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination to condole with her family but the Minister was prevented from going to Larkana or visiting her tomb by authorities who cited “security reasons.” Mr. Kouchner was also unable to meet the Bhutto family.

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