London, Sept 11: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, who has been living in London since his nine-year rule ended in 2008, has said he is determined to return to Pakistan by March 2012, even if he is arrested.
Speaking to BBC, he said: “Let them arrest me. I'll [still] go back. If there is such politicisation that the courts absolutely go berserk and they arrest me or something, which I don't think is a possibility, well let them arrest me. I'll go to jail. Let's see what happens then”.
Musharraf is wanted by an anti-terrorist court in Pakistan over accusations he failed to protect the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, from assassination in December 2007.
He has described the case as “baseless” and politically led.
He said: “By any stretch of imagination, by any analysis of legal and constitutional issues, I am not involved [in that assassination]. So, I know this case is a hoax and we'll be able to fight it.”
According to Musharraf, no other country sacrificed more in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban than Pakistan after the September 11 attacks.
He claimed that under his leadership Pakistan achieved several military successes, including the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Musharraf, however, regrets that the military successes achieved during his time in power were not followed up by political efforts to achieve peace in the region. PTI
