ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Thursday forcefully justified his decision to hang on to power by getting elected for a second term by insisting that it was necessary to ensure smooth transition to what he called “true democracy”. But at the same time he dropped the clearest hint to date that Benazir Bhutto and her party may have a role in a future set-up, and depending on the election results, he said they can also be allies.

In a wide-ranging interview with DAWN NEWS TV at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, which may soon become his official residence, General Musharraf talked about the reasons for his decision to quit the army chief’s position and for continuing as a civilian president, and also about his efforts for bringing Ms Bhutto and other moderates close to each other. He spoke with equal frankness on his decision to send reference against the chief justice, which he called legal and constitutional, and the existing tension between the judiciary and the executive.

At the same time he expressed his views on what he believed was a threat from religious extremism to the very integrity the state, as well as on the role of the intelligence services in domestic political affairs and the need to curtail their involvement.

Speaking only hours after an all-night crucial meeting on elections and deal-related issues at the President’s House, Gen Musharraf admitted that he and his political allies had been preoccupied lately with sorting out some fundamental matters linked to his own election, as well as the move for national reconciliation ---a euphemism for a post-election deal with Benazir Bhutto.

While expressing his amazement on how the news of the late-night meeting at the presidency trickled out, Gen Musharraf played down concerns expressed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on giving concessions to Ms Bhutto. He said a wrong impression was being created about the PML-Q leader as, according to the president, he was completely on board in the crucial decision-making process.

“He is a real beeba (sweet) man”, the president said while using a Punjabi terminology, adding that it was incorrect to suggest that Chaudhry Shujaat had been a spoiler.

Acknowledging for the first time that Ms Bhutto has a kind of grass-root support that cannot be eroded or wished away, President Musharraf took pains in explaining that his change of heart did not mean that he had forgotten about the corruption charges he had been levelling against her. However, he said, none of those charges had been proved in a court of law, and “now that there is a greater need to bring together forces that believe in moderation to take on religious extremism, there is no harm in engaging her in the dialogue process”.

Gen Musharraf was quite reluctant to admit that he had had a one-on-one meeting with Ms Bhutto in Abu Dhabi recently, brushing aside the question with a smile. “No comment” was his response to a series of questions asked about various aspects of the contacts between him and Benazir Bhutto.

In fact, he justified the need to maintain secrecy about certain aspects for this kind of contact, and said it may help in evolving some kind of an “understanding”.

President Musharraf’s clear emphasis was on the need for national reconciliation. He insisted he had every reason to believe that following the next general election, all moderate parties and group can work together in the “greater national interest”.

But when asked if he was considering involving Nawaz Sharif in such a process of national reconciliation, President Musharraf said talks can be held with his party, but the former prime minister had himself opted to go out of the country. But when asked if the government can consider allowing him to return before the completion of the exile period of ten years, President Musharraf said such an issue can be discussed after the general election and formation of the next government.

He was not only confident of winning in the presidential election, but said he was fully prepared to work as a civilian leader. “No, I am not feeling vulnerable,” he said in reply to a question if quitting the post of army chief would weaken his position.

He said his aim was to develop a new working relationship between the president, the prime minister and the army chief. “Well, such a troika is a reality of Pakistani politics, and everyone needs to accept it”. However, he added, it should not be compared with the practices of the 1980s and 1990s, when there was a direct confrontation between these three major elements of power, always resulting in a crisis.

President Musharraf said he was aware of the opposition parties’ campaign against him, and their insistence on opposing him even in civilian garb. He ridiculed them by saying that they have no public support, and in fact insisted that even today a vast majority of the people were his supporters. “Yes, my popularity graph may have gone down, but I am still the most popular leader in the country”, he claimed.

INTELLIGENCE AND POLITICS: While admitting that the intelligence services should be kept away from domestic political affairs, President Musharraf said such a practice had a long history. And then he immediately added that it was not only practised in Pakistan, but intelligence agencies in other countries also play key role in “issues other than their routine affairs”. The issue came up when he indirectly admitted to the role played by the COAS-designate Gen Kayani in negotiations with Ms Bhutto for a possible deal. But when asked if he was considering disbanding what was known as the ISI’s political wing, Gen Musharraf said although he had not thought about such a move, it could be taken up during the restructuring of the intelligence service.