Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said she would be willing to serve as premier under President Pervez Musharraf if he relinquishes his role as army chief.
WASHINGTON: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said she would be willing to serve as premier under President Pervez Musharraf if he relinquishes his role as army chief.
"...There have been contacts between the military regime and the Pakistan People's Party, including myself, and we have been trying to search for a solution that could take Pakistan peacefully towards a democratic setup," the PPP leader said when asked about the meeting with ruling party leaders.
Asked if a government that included Musharraf as president and she as prime minister, could function given the history of bad blood between the two, she told CNN, "I think while General Musharraf and I have been on opposite sides of the pole where issues of dictatorship and democracy are concerned, we have both stated our determination to move Pakistan onto the path of moderation."
"And we have worked together on issues such as women's rights. But I do agree with you that it does carry risks. It carries risks because at the moment, independent surveys showed that two-thirds of Pakistanis are unhappy with General Musharraf," Bhutto said.
"But I still believe that if we can get an agreement for a smooth transfer of power and we can get a balance of power between the presidency and the parliament, we'd be able to come up with a situation where we can undermine terrorism and address the real needs of the people, which I believe are now being neglected," she added.
Asked if under the right circumstances she could work together with Musharraf in the same government, she said, "If the people of Pakistan gave me a mandate, yes.
"But there would need to be a balance between the powers of the presidency and the powers of the parliament."
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