Laws of land to apply to Benazir on her return home: PM

CNews WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said Sunday that President Pervez Musharraf would quit army office and have a single office which will be the civilian president of Pakistan after being sworn in as such. Interviewed on a US-based news television, Aziz also insisted that President Musharraf would abide by a promise to shed his army uniform following a recent election that was boycotted by opposition parties. He said former premier Benazir Bhutto is free to return to Pakistan even if past corruption charges may return to haunt her. As Bhutto prepares to return home from self-exile on Thursday, Aziz said "she is free to come and, you know, the laws of the land will apply to her, like any other citizen of Pakistan." "The people have had a strong reaction to removal of corruption cases against Miss Bhutto," Aziz said, while insisting that her case differed from that of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. The prime minister told the news TV that Musharraf's win had been "very legitimate" despite almost the entire opposition boycotting the presidential vote in parliament. Asked whether Musharraf still intended to renounce his post as army chief of staff, Aziz said: "Absolutely. Aziz was also asked about the whereabouts of Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden, who is believed by US intelligence to be hiding in a lawless region of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. "We have no clue where this gentleman is. I think if the world knew where he is, we would go after him," the premier said.