'I was not forced out office'

Pervez Musharraf says he left the presidency through his own volition and not because of public pressure.

Former President Pervez Musharraf stated in a recent interview that he left the presidency of his own will.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Musharraf said that he had left the Presidency peacefully through his “own volition” and was not forced to leave by public pressure.

Musharraf stated that Pakistan was suffering and there was a vacuum of leadership in the country. He went on to say that the current leadership had turned a blind eye to extremists and religious groups, and that it was trying to appease them.

He said that Pakistan was threatened by extremism, terrorism and India, stating that the country was nuclear because of India and that 90% of Indian troops were directed towards Pakistan.

Asked if he considered Pakistan to be the most dangerous country in the world, Musharraf admitted it was so, but also said that Afghanistan was more dangerous.

Musharraf said that Pakistan was being haunted by ghosts from its past and that the west was equally responsible for the country’s current situation. He said that the US had employed ‘religious militancy’ to fight the Soviet threat in Afghanistan and the US left once its purpose had been served, leaving Pakistan to clean up the mess.