Islamabad, April 10: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has abandoned his plans of returning to Pakistan from self-exile in Britain after the Pakistani military leadership refused to provide him extra security to counter multiple threats to his life.
Musharraf, who launched his own political party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) in October 2010, has claimed several times that he would return to lead the party and contest the next elections.
Musharraf's associates said the former president has been seeking guarantees of security from the current military leadership beyond that to which he is entitled to as a former president.
"He is scared ... naturally, the level of threat he faces is much higher than the usual security. That's why he wanted to be dead sure that enemies couldn't get him if he comes back," The Express Tribune quoted a friend of Musharraf, as saying on the condition of anonymity.
"And of course who else, other than the military, the army, can provide that sort of security," the person added.
But Musharraf's hopes faded when the current hierarchy of the Pakistan military cold-shouldered his demands for extra security to spearhead his politics in Pakistan.
"It looks they (military generals) are not interested in him and his political designs anymore ... it is not their tradition to support a former chief's political gamble ... because they are of no use," commented another associate on possible reasons for which the APML leader might have been denied the extra security.
Al Qaeda, which operates in Pakistan's tribal areas with its local partners, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has been on the hunt for Musharraf.
The former general was twice targeted by Al Qaeda's 313 brigade and the Amjad Farooqi group of the Punjabi Taliban even when he was the president.
"And now he can be an easy prey for them ... they might still want to get him whenever possible," said another friend of Musharraf.
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