NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Clinton must visit Pak: Benazir

Ranvir Nayar in Paris

United States President Bill Clinton should definitely visit Pakistan on his trip to South Asia, Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, has told rediff.com in Paris.

``He should visit Pakistan, not to lend credibility to the military government of Pervez Musharraf, but to communicate in no uncertain terms that the general has to clearly lay down a road map for holding free and fair elections and restoration of democracy,'' says Bhutto.

Bhutto says that since this is the first visit of an American president to the region in over two decades, it is even more crucial that the president uses this occasion to state clearly to the military rulers of Pakistan, exactly what is expected of them.

``This is quite an unprecedented opportunity for the US president to make his point of view clear to the military rulers. For there is no one better placed than the president himself to put the maximum pressure on the military,'' Bhutto told rediff.com.

Bhutto is currently in France to campaign for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.

She is meeting several human rights organisations in Paris to make them aware of the situation in Pakistan and to create general awareness through the French media about what needs to be done to bring the situation back to normal in Pakistan.

But Bhutto admitted that the current United States policy towards Pakistan appears very confused.

``They believe that Musharraf is the last chance for keeping Pakistan away from Talibanisation and that he will hold the Pakistani society better than the flawed democratic machinery could. But I don't think the democracy in Pakistan is flawed. It is some leaders, but especially some hardliners in the army, that have damaged the society and the democratic fibre of the country,'' says Bhutto.

She adds that the takeover by the military has only pushed Pakistan closer to the brink of collapse. ``You need to look at the history of Pakistan. Whenever the military has taken over, the tensions with India have mounted, the economy has suffered and each time, Pakistan has emerged weaker from a military rule. And they are never in a hurry to give up power and restore democracy. It will not be any different this time around,'' says Bhutto.

Bhutto said that the Pakistan army had a number of jehadi generals, who believed in extremist Islam and were willing to die for their religious war.

She said that though Musharraf himself was not a jehadi, he was definitely a hawk on India and that had led to the heightened tensions in the region, which she described as the most dangerous region in the world.

Describing last year's misadventure in Kargil as a disaster for Pakistan - both politically and militarily - Bhutto says her government had vetoed the plan as she did not believe that it would bring anything to Pakistan.

She says that the strong Indian response to the incursions was indeed surprising and that India had been able to win the international backing for its efforts there.

Describing Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a media savvy politician, she says that he was able to convert a near disaster into an election winning point.

Bhutto says that the international community has almost forgotten Pakistan, after making some strong statements soon after the coup.

``We definitely need continuous pressure and the West must let the rulers in Pakistan know that they are closely monitoring all their moves and eagerly waiting for the restoration of democracy,'' says Bhutto.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report