Former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf (retd) returned to the country on Sunday, ending his four-year-long self exile ahead of the polls, vowing to take the nation forward to prosperity and peace. Threats by Taliban, however, marred his political campaign, as he had to cancel a planned march to the Mazar-e-Quaid.
The former military dictator's flight from Dubai landed in Karachi amid tough security arrangements by Rangers and Airport Security Force.
Addressing a crowd of several hundreds of his party's workers, chief of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) Pervez Musharraf declared: "I am back. I am back today. I am not frightened." He thanked his supporters who had come to welcome him.
He said that he had returned despite threats to his life, adding that he had been asked not to return. He said: "I am not afraid of anyone except God".
The former military ruler told a noisy crowd that he had a "better economic plan" to serve the country if the public supported him in the upcoming polls.
Vowing to bring peace to the country's largest city and financial hub, Karachi, he said that the metropolis was in the grips of feuds among various ethnic groups.
Criticising the outgoing government, he said he had left the country in 2008 with a stable economy, but five years later, it was immersed in poverty, unemployment, and inflation.
"My poor people I have come back for you," he said and voiced concerns over the growing unrest in Karachi. "What is happening in Karachi? Every day dozens of people are killed. What happened to Karachi's peace?" he asked.
He said the city belonged to all citizens irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds. "Karachi belongs to all - Sindhis, Balochs, Pashtuns, Punjabis and Muhajirs ...," he said, urging the citizens to stop infighting and work to bring peace to the city.
Without specifying, Pervez Musharraf said: "Those who believe they are better Muslims than me, I want to tell them I am as sincere as any other Muslim."
Speaking in a composed tone, he often repeated his famous slogans of "Pakistan first" and "save Pakistan". He regretted that he had to cancel a gathering of his party's workers at the Mazar-e-Quaid for security reasons. He told his supporters he would address them soon.
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