Thaindian News

London, May 22 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has broadly hinted that he wouldn’t mind being the country’s prime minister.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan for 10 years, told CNN in an interview that: “The question… of whether I am running for president or prime minister will be seen later.”

“We run a parliamentary system there. So, you have to — your party has to win in the election. Then only do you decide to run,” The Nation quoted Musharraf as telling Wolf Blitzer in CNN’s “Situation Room” programme.

“Basically, you are heading the party, you are running for the prime ministership, because in Pakistan, the chief executive is the prime minister, not the president,” he added.

Musharraf, however, said that he was unsure about the exact timing of his return to Pakistan.

“It is related to the elections in Pakistan. I am very sure of one thing, that whether it’s end-term elections or midterm elections, I will be there before those elections,” he said.

Musharraf also took issue over a United Nations report released last month that said his government had failed to protect former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before her December 27, 2007 assassination.

“It was me who warned her about the threat to her. It was I who stopped her from going to that venue once before, to which a lot of political aspersions were cast on me that her movements are being restricted. But she decided to go again. All the security, wherever possible… by the police was provided to her,” he said.

Asked if he would do anything differently if he could relive the experience, Musharraf said, “I think the same would have been done.”

He also criticized the U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas, saying the “indiscriminate use of the drones… is having a negative impact in the public because of the collateral damage.” (ANI)