Pak generals must return to barracks -- Bhutto

Pak generals must return to barracks -- Bhutto
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

LONDON, FEB 17: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has appealed to Islamabad and New Delhi to end their "war of words" and said army generals in Pakistan must return to barracks, hold elections and help build peace in the region.

India and Pakistan must end their "war of words and come to terms with each other. A lot of rhetoric has been used by both sides and it is time they rose above such rhetoric," she said, adding then only people of the two countries could prosper. "I would like to see men and women of goodwill on both sides of the border (India and Pakistan) together to put aside the poisonous past but the military regime in Islamabad makes it difficult," she told PTI here on Wednesday night.

"Instead of trying to run the municipality, revenue collection and foreign office, the generals must go back to barracks and order elections," Bhutto said. The Pakistan People's Party chief said, "As a patriotic Pakistani" she is worried about the internal situation in Pakistan which is quite complicated. "That is why I and my party are urging the generals to go back to barracks." Bhutto, who attended a function to celebrate publication of Zaiwalla and Co. Solicitors' book, India: Colours of Continent, said in reply to a question that negotiations between India and Pakistan suffered a serious setback because of the Kargil episode.

"General Pervez Musharraf is not trusted (by India) because of his perceived role (in Kargil),'' Bhutto said. She said during her prime ministership she had reached five agreements with her Indian counterpart Rajiv Gandhi three published agreements and two draft agreements. While the published agreements were non-attack on each other's nuclear facility, establishing hotlines and expansion of trade, the two draft agreements were for redeployment of forces in Kargil without prejudice to each other's stated position and mutual troop reduction, she said.