Musharraf pushes Swiss to prosecute Zardari
Corruption case against PPP leader resurrected
Corruption case against PPP leader resurrected
Beleaguered president in bid to sink coalition talks
The battle for power in Pakistan took a fresh twist yesterday when the government reinvigorated a Swiss corruption case against the opposition leader Asif Zardari on the eve of post-election power sharing talks that threaten President Pervez Musharraf.
Government lawyers urged a court in Geneva to prosecute Zardari - whose Pakistan People's party won the most seats in Monday's election - on 10-year-old charges of stashing $55m in kickbacks in a Swiss bank account.
The move was seen as a pressure tactic against Zardari, the husband of the assassinated Benazir Bhutto, as he prepared to start negotiations later today for a coalition government with the second-placed opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, who has campaigned to oust Musharraf.
Despite a massive anti-Musharraf factor in Pakistan's general election, the retired army chief rejected calls for his resignation from the presidency, indicating that he would serve out his five-year term of office. His staunch ally, the US, urged the opposition to work with him.
The Swiss case against Zardari stalled last year after Musharraf struck a "reconciliation" deal with Bhutto under which all corruption charges would be dropped. But since her assassination on December 27, and this week's election victory, all bets appear to be off....
Government lawyers urged a court in Geneva to prosecute Zardari - whose Pakistan People's party won the most seats in Monday's election - on 10-year-old charges of stashing $55m in kickbacks in a Swiss bank account.
The move was seen as a pressure tactic against Zardari, the husband of the assassinated Benazir Bhutto, as he prepared to start negotiations later today for a coalition government with the second-placed opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, who has campaigned to oust Musharraf.
Despite a massive anti-Musharraf factor in Pakistan's general election, the retired army chief rejected calls for his resignation from the presidency, indicating that he would serve out his five-year term of office. His staunch ally, the US, urged the opposition to work with him.
The Swiss case against Zardari stalled last year after Musharraf struck a "reconciliation" deal with Bhutto under which all corruption charges would be dropped. But since her assassination on December 27, and this week's election victory, all bets appear to be off....
