Click to play videoNew Delhi: Benazir is all but home and dry. Railways minister Sheikh Rashid confirmed that corruption cases against her were being quashed an amnesty for her will ensure she is not prosecuted on her return to Pakistan on October 18.
Benazir and her husband Azif Zardari were convicted in 1999 of taking more than 8 million dollars in bribes from a Swiss firm and sentenced to 5-years in prison. They are reportedly worth more than a billion dollars with bank accounts in the Virgin Islands.
The amnesty follows another crucial move by Musharraf as the countdown to his re-election as president on Saturday gets underway.
General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was promoted vice chief of army staff he will take over from Musharraf as army chief of staff when he steps down after his re-election Kayani is the first head of the ISI to become army chief.
Musharraf also appointed Gen Tariq Majeed as Chairman joint chiefs of staff earlier he had appointed Gen Nadeem Taj as head of the ISI.
All three officers are known to be confidants of Musharraf far junior to him in the army hierarchy and therefore are likely to ensure the army remains within his sphere of influence at least for a while.
The developments came on top of mass resignations from the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies as the opposition had warned.
Imran Khan said, “The resignations are unlikely to affect the final result. Pakistani media reports say Musharraf has enough votes to see him through as president.”
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