Wednesday, May 17 2006 17:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Lashing out at exiled former Pakistani Premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, President Pervez Musharraf has said the agreement signed by them was an attempt to 'hoodwink' people into thinking that they were working for democracy.

"Bhutto and Sharif signed the Charter of Democracy not keeping public interest in mind but to serve their vested interests," he said in his first direct comment on the agreement signed between the exiled leaders in London on Sunday.

At a meeting with members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) in Rawalpindi yesterday, he said the Charter was an attempt to 'hoodwink' the people into thinking that they were working for democracy.

"In fact this was an attempt just to save their own future and re-enter power corridors," he was quoted as saying by the media here today.

Under the Charter, the two leaders have agreed to work to keep the military out of politics and contest next year's general election.

Asking the leaders of the PML-Q, which largely comprises defectors from Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) to prepare for general elections due next year, he asked PML-Q President Shujat Hussain to remove reservations expressed by some members.