ISLAMABAD - Former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has said that he has resigned from the party chairmanship on the advice of his legal aides.

He, however, claimed that he did not leave politics and would continue to support his candidates in the upcoming elections.

In his video message issued here on Saturday, Musharraf said: “For my return to the country, I had required three things, I may be allowed to take part in elections; my name may not be put on the exit control list and I may not be arrested,” he said and added that as these conditions were not met so he preferred to stay out of the country.

“Dr Muhammad Amjad as chairman of the party and Mehreen Malik Adam as General Secretary are the most appropriate persons,” he said and asked party workers to support them in the upcoming general election.

He said that he was quite committed and keen to take part in the general election but there were some hurdles that were not removed. “After consultation with the APML leadership, I decided not to return to the country for the time being,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf asked his party candidates go to the election with full zeal and he would stand by them. “Good times will come and we will then decide accordingly,” he said.

“For my resignation as the party chairman, certain rumours were circulating and that was the reason I felt that I should personally explain the position.” “The Islamabad High Court had issued a decision disqualifying Khawaja Asif and that was nullified by the Supreme Court. I was also disqualified by a high court bench to contest the elections but the Supreme Court did not nullify the same decision as it did in the Khawaja Asif’s case,” he said.