"Right now, they feel they have lost their voice, and their miseries have increased since my departure."

"It's true that General Musharraf opposes my return, seeing me as a symbol of democracy in the country. He is comfortable with dictatorship. I hope better sense prevails."

"Military hardliners called me a 'security threat' for promoting peace in South Asia and for supporting a broad-based government in Afghanistan."

"I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal."

"The military wants a system that protects its policies and privileges."

"I am constitutionally competent to contest the elections."

"The government I led gave ordinary people peace, security, dignity, and opportunity to progress."

"The military destabilised my government on politically motivated charges."

"I am planning to return and contest the October elections in Pakistan."

"The United Nations charter gives every nation the right to self defence, therefore when the American embassies were bombed it was a matter of time before the Americans responded by going for what they suspected were the causes of the attack."

"Given the right to a free ballot, the people would support my return."

"General Musharraf needs my participation to give credibility to the electoral process, as well as to respect the fundamental right of all those who wish to vote for me."