Page 22 - 15MAR2019E

CoverStory

Musharraf prepares to return

to Pakistan; ready to play key

role in Indo-Pak talks

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s olive branch for peace, it is alleged, is part of well-rehearsed
drama planned by Musharraf, key political aides of the past are cabinet ministers in the present
government of the country, writes gopal misra

midst mounting India- folio in the present so-called democrat- a book before the Pakistani polls, told
Pakistan tensions, Paki- ically elected government. an Indian channel recently that Im-
stani Prime Minister Imran The Cabinet members who served ran Khan has compromised to remain
Khan’s olive branch for under Musharraf in various capaci- in power. She has asserted that Imran
A peace is a part of well-re- ties include Farogh Naseem, Tariq is a puppet in the hands of the Paki-
hearsed drama having its key players Bashir Cheema, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, stan military. Acording to her, he was
in the ISI and Pakistani army. The God- Zubaida Jalal, Fawad Chauhdry, Sheikh waiting for army’s instructions before
father to this move is indeed Pervez Rashid Ahmad, Khalid Maqbool Sid- making a statement on the radio broad-
Musharraf, the man who had toppled diqui, Shafqat Mehmood, Makhdoom cast on Pulwama terror attack that
Nawaz Sharif government, and had Khusro Bakhtiar, Abdul Razak Dawood, martyred over 40 CRPF personnel
never cared to catch the assassins of Dr Ishrat Hussain and Amin Aslam. on February 14 in south Kashmir. “He
Benazir Bhutto. In a recent interview to Sheikh Rashid is again appointed as the does what he is taught to do,” she has
the daily Dawn, Musharraf stated that railway minister. He previously held the claimed.
most of the key cabinet ministers in the same portfolio under in the Musharraf Nuke Doctrine: Musharraf has cau-
present Imran Khan Government had cabinet. tioned that if Pakistan hits India with
been in his cabinet, when he became Musharraf decides to return to Paki- one atom bomb, India’s nuclear missiles
president of the country in a bloodless stan amidst the allegations that Prime will wipe out Pakistan. His advice is that
army coup. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister Imran Khan is a puppet in India should be attacked with 50 nucle-
who had served as Musharraf’s foreign the hands of the army. Reham Khan, a ar bombs. However, he has told in a me-
minister, is now holding the same port- journalist and author, who had written dia interview that if Pakistan is treated

Tehelka / 15 march 2019 22 www.Tehelka.com