Musharraf supporters gather ahead of Pakistan return

Supporters of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are gathering at Dubai's international airport for his planned return to his homeland after more than four years in self-exile.

Supporters of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are gathering at Dubai's international airport for his planned return to his homeland after more than four years in self-exile.

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Musharraf has promised to fly to Karachi on Sunday to plot his possible political comeback in May parliamentary elections.

But he faces charges that include the probe of the 2007 assassination of former Prime Miniser Benazir Bhutto. The Pakistan Taliban also has vowed to kill Musharraf if he returns. Musharraf is a polarizing figure in Pakistan.

He has support from groups including many in Pakistan's influential expatriate communities. He is also vilified for crackdowns on Islamic militants and others after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Musharraf took power in a 1999 coup and was forced to step down in 2008. He has since lived in Dubai and London.