‘Musharraf funnelling money to aides to stage return’

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: With the expiry of a constitutional bar on his participation in politics just around the corner, the Asia Times Online has claimed that former president Pervez Musharraf – who is pondering the formation of a new political party – recently “funnelled large sums of money into the coffers of former aides to promote his cause”.

The online publication said, “These include former minister of information Sheikh Rasheed, who ...has been paid $1 million – the same amount that went to a public relations team to boost Musharraf’s image.”

The report also speaks of “donations” that Musharraf has received: “insiders say that Musharraf has vast wealth, much of it accumulated through donations from individuals (these, some say, include Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi) and corporations to aid previous election campaigns. There are reports that Musharraf received $30 million from the UAE via one of its top bankers, and $3 million from a Pakistani cellular phone company”.

Musharraf believes that with his contacts – especially to the Saudi royal family – and being internationally known, he could play a decisive role in the South Asian war on terror, said the report.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg7_5