DUBAI — Former President Pervez Musharraf said on Saturday that he will return to his homeland despite facing criminal charges and militant death threats.Musharraf has been living in self-exile in London and Dubai for the last five years and is planning to return on Sunday to Pakistan. He risks possible arrest in connection with the killing of an ex-prime minister, while the Pakistani Taleban says they have an assassination team ready for him if he steps foot in the country.
He first declared his intention to go back earlier this year. On Saturday, he addressed a news conference in Dubai confirming that he would be arriving in the port city of Karachi to take part in May 11 elections despite the “fear of the unknown.” The former four-star general plans to travel there accompanied by journalists and supporters of his political party, All Pakistan Muslim League.
But just hours after the announcement, the Taleban released a video threatening to unleash suicide bombers and snipers against Musharraf if he comes back. One of the two people speaking in the video was Adnan Rasheed, a former Pakistani air force officer convicted in an attack against Musharraf. The Taleban broke Rasheed, along with nearly 400 other detainees, out of Bannu prison last year.
“The mujahedeen of Islam have prepared a death squad to send Pervez Musharraf to hell,” said Rasheed in the video, speaking in front of a group of 20 militants holding rifles.
“We warn you to surrender yourself to us. Otherwise we will hit you from where you will never reckon,” he said.