Military rescues when politicians lose: Musharraf

Former president says Pakistan should always be prepared for an Indian offensive.

Former president Pervez Musharraf, now the founder of his own political party, is still supportive of the military’s role in governing Pakistan.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, the founder of the All Pakistan Muslim League said: “The military must always have some sort of role to moderate on Pakistan. But that is also not acceptable to politicians. Then what is acceptable? To break Pakistan?”

Military gets involved when there is bad governance, the retired general said. “The military is the most stabilising factor in Pakistan. As long as the military is there, Pakistan will remain,” he said.

“Democracy is when an elected government comes into place and governs. Right now Pakistan is almost being declared as a failed state and as a sick man of Asia. Is this how you govern?” the former president added.

When asked if he still feels India is the biggest threat to Pakistan, he said: “I think there’s no comparison. Taliban are posing a threat now, India has posed a threat all along.”

Musharraf said that no one talks about what India did in East Pakistan. “They split half of our country with active connivance from RAW and the Indian military. Indira Gandhi said her greatest achievement was the breaking up of Pakistan,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf further said that Americans should not tell Pakistan what to do in dealing with militancy in its tribal areas. “Don’t teach us, please. We know more in our area in the tribal agencies than you.”

On Pakistan’s nuclear assets falling in the wrong hands, the former president said: “Pakistan’s nuclear assets are under complete control of the military. So unless you defeat the Pakistan military nobody can access the nuclear assets.”

When asked about accusations of Pakistan military and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) backing Jihadist elements, Musharraf said: “This is not the case. Since 1979 events have been changing so much that Pakistan has been adjusting its diplomacy and relationships with various players. From 1979 - 1989 we were encouraging religious militancy. Then from 1989 – 2001 we were all alone and the ISI was fending for itself. So the ISI and the subsequent governments have had to change their policies with time.”

Visibly upset at a question on how he would rule with a party consisting of corrupt people, the former military ruler said: “I can show you a thousand letters urging me to come to Pakistan.

“You go to my Facebook, there are more than 30,000 followers,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2011.