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Sattar told journalists in Islamabad that he had been a member of the Tehrik-e-insaaf before being appointed foreign minister by General Pervez Musharraf, and would now rejoin the party and start active campaigning from August.
The Tehrik-e-insaaf had initially been supportive of the military regime led by President Musharraf and had even endorsed the referendum that extended Musharraf's tenure as president by five years.
However, the party has been vehemently opposed to the 'intrusive' American role and influence in Pakistan's internal affairs and strongly criticised Islamabad's role in the US war against Afghanistan and the subsequent military operation in the tribal areas of the country.
Recently, Imran Khan had warned of an insurrection in the armed forces and even a civil war if the government did not halt the operation in the tribal areas.
Sattar, known to be a hawk on the Kashmir issue, had quit citing health reasons.
However, there is speculation that he was unhappy at being sidelined and being used simply as a rubber stamp by General Musharraf who set the foreign policy agenda for the nation.
In fact, Sattar did not accompany General Musharraf during his visit to the US in February.
Foreign office insiders also said that Musharraf was looking for someone less strident on Kashmir.
Sattar's announcement that he was joining active politics also squashes rumours that he would be joining the United Nations.
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