APC participation if MMA quits Balochistan government, says Benazir

Pakistan peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto hinted on Wednesday to attend the all parties conference (APC) in London if her rival Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal quits the Balochistan coalition.
"There are some people who believe that my personal participation will make a big difference and it really a judgement call. For the time being, I do not intend to attend the conference," Benazir told a private television in an interview over phone.
"However for example, if the Jamaat-e-Islami and JUI, mean the MMA, if they were to resign from the Balochistan government, I might review my decision to personally attend," the PPP chairperson said.
"I am attending as I am sending my representatives. So my party actually called the APC for being member of the ARD. Makhdoom Amin Faheem is the head of ARD. He has called the conference and Nawaz Sharif is hosting the conference," she said. "At this time, I feel my personal presence is not necessary," the PPP leader insisted.
She said the MMA was coalition partner with the present PML-Q and it was a coalition partner in the province of Balochistan. "Many excesses were being committed against the Baloch people and I feel unhappy over associating with the regime. The PPP has not associated with the regime. The MAM supported the 17th amendment. The MMA is the partner with the regime, which has killed Nawab Akbar Bugti, imprisoned Akhtar Mengal, forced the Muri into exile, and kidnapped Zain Bugti, the grand son of Nawab Akber Bugti".
Asked when she is returning to Pakistan, she said she would be in the country by December this year. "I am returning before December this year. I have stated out of compulsion because I have limited freedom outside. My concern is if I land tomorrow, I might not be having the opportunity to call a meeting of the parliamentary board of the PPP. I would like my return to be helpful for democratic process".
To a question about an offer from the Prime Minister to the opposition on election preparations, she said that the opposition could not respond to prime minister unless concrete confidence building measures on the ground are taken.
"For example the issue of the missing of 20 to 30 million voters needs to be addressed first. The election commission must put on the website the names of all the enrolled voters. So we do not have hanky panky with the voter lists".
"We have mentioned that voters not in the lists must be allowed to be enrolled. Each polling station must show which voter can vote in which polling station. And we want access to data entry system of the election commission. My information is that major manipulation comes with the data in the election commission lists".
To a question about US demands for fair elections, Benazir Bhutto said the PPP welcomes the US support for free and fair election. "Fair elections are very important for us to address the core problems, such as the missing voters. The total voters of the country are approximately 70 to 80 million and 20 to 30 million voters are disappeared from the entire lists".
She said the voters of the opposition were not simply counted and rejected and were not in the voter lists. "The elections can not be fair. Fair elections start with fair voter lists".
To a question about a deal with the government, she termed the impression as a non-sense. "If I was concerned about the so-called politically motivated allegation then I would have come with an understanding even before the Musharraf regime, with the regime that came before it".
She said that in year 2000 she was offered that all the cases would be dropped and her husband freed if she accepted the dictatorship but she did not. She said her husband continued to be imprisoned and she continued to go to courtroom to courtroom in different jurisdictions of the world including being placed on the Interpol list like terrorists.
"I have found it very funny that who supported the LFO and 17th amendment should make such kinds of claim, these are absolutely false". She said she has not closed doors of dialogue with the regime.
"As the reason I have done it because I am not interested in a deal. But I am interested in Pakistan have a smooth transition to democracy, that can undermine the religious extremism and empower the people of Pakistan by addressing their social and economic means," she said.