Musharraf rejects deals to return home

Pakistan's former President, Pervez Musharraf, said on Wednesday that he has not struck any deal with anyone to return to the country after over four-year self exile. In a press conference in Karachi, Musharraf said there was no difficulty in his return to the country. The former military ruler said his party will field candidates in all the four provinces, however, he did not say as to how many seats his party could win in the elections. He hoped that his All Pakistan Muslim League ( APML) would be able to win sufficient seats. Musharraf faces arrest warrants in several cases including the 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto and the killing of a senior tribal elder, Akbar Bugti in Balochistan province during his rule. He is also accused of dismissing and detaining dozens of top judges when he had imposed emergency rule and sacked those judges who had refused to show loyalty to him. But Musharraf denied detaining judges and said that he did not put any judge under illegal confinement. He said the then Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, had sent him a reference against judges and he had acted on it as per constitutional requirement. Pervez Musharraf said he has nothing to do with the Akbar Bugti and Benazir murder cases and said he will defend himself in courts. Musharraf returned Pakistan on Sunday and now wants to play active role in politics to stand for parliamentary seat in May 11 elections. He is now leading his own political party, APML. Musharraf had got a two-week protective bail to avoid arrest days before his return to Pakistan. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, had resigned in August 2008 fearing parliamentary impeachment, and then went into exile. His APML party said Wednesday that Musharraf will also contest election for a National Assembly seat from the northern district of Chitral. The party leaders will submit his nomination papers on Thursday. Musharraf's party leaders say he may arrive in Islamabad on Thursday for the first time since his exile in 2008.