Show leniency towards Aamer, says Musharraf

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf Wednesday called for leniency for suspended Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Aamer saying that the 18-year-old may have acted under the influence of the senior players.

The tainted trio of Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on spot-fixing charges during the last Test against England at Lord's.

Musharraf condemned cheating but said Aamer should be pardoned, citing his youth, his talent and poor family background.

'This boy, I would say, is hardly a man at 18, who came under the influence of senior players, needs to be seen compassionately for the sake of his family and for the sake of cricket at large. It's a very sad incident,' Musharraf was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph on the sidelines of an investor conference in Hong Kong.

'Instead of destroying a person, rehabilitation of the person is required. We need to do everything to rehabilitate him and set an example for others.'

Musharraf's comments came after he expressed his desire to return to Pakistan politics. He announced Wednesday that he is forming a new political party and will return to the country to contest in the national elections in 2013.

The former president took power in a coup in October 1999 but was forced to step down in 2008 amid nationwide protests.

Nation looking towards PML-N: Mian Nawaz Sharif

CHAKWAL: PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif has said the whole country is looking towards PML-N adding PML-N will be transformed into a revolutionary and popular party. Mian Nawaz Sharif said this while talking to PML-N delegation led by renowned Naat Khawan Abdul Razzaq Jami which called on him at Raiwind Saturday. Nawaz Sharif underlined party would be reorganized at village and union council level and the workers who had rendered sacrifices would be taken forward so that foundation for a political and popular revolution could be laid down in the country.

PML-N by awarding ticket to a worker in NA-61 Chakwal-2 had proved that workers were the assets of the party, he maintained. This was on the record that big Khan, chaudhrys, maliks and sardars had always left the party in the hour of trial, he added. Honor will be given to the party workers in future too who stood by party during Musharraf regime and those who had sacrificed for the party by serving jail terms; he said adding these workers were in fact asset of the party. Abdul Razzaq Jami told Mian Nawaz Sharif that awarding the ticket to Malik Muhammad Kabir advocate had infused a new spirit in the workers. District Chakwal was a strong citadel of PML-N and Malik Muhammad Kabir advocate would win the elections with overwhelming majority, he hoped