Musharraf backtracks on home-grown Kashmir militants

Pervez Musharraf says there is no question that the army, intelligence groups or ISI created Mujahideen groups.

Taking a 180-degree turn from his earlier statements, former president Pervez Musharraf says there is no question of the army, intelligence groups or ISI creating Mujahideen groups, training them or sending them in to Kashmir.

Just recently, when Musharraf was asked in an interview with Der Spiegel why he had formed militant underground groups to fight India in Kashmir, he had replied that "they were indeed formed. The government turned a blind eye because they wanted India to discuss Kashmir."

However, in his latest interview with CNN-IBN, Musharraf said the ISI did not train Kashmiri militants, but admits they got shelter in Pakistan.


"There is no question of the army, intelligence or the ISI creating Mujahideen groups, training them and sending them in… Hizbul Mujahideen group was created in your (Indian) part of Kashmir and then they ran away from there after military atrocities."

He also claimed that half of Pakistan wants him to return to politics. When asked by CNN-IBN how confident he is about being able to return to Pakistan and standing for an election he replied “I give it more than 50 per cent chance, that's why I'm entering into politics. Otherwise why would I do it? If there is no chance it would be very wrong decision on my part to enter into politics. It's only that I believe that there is a more than even chance of returning. I can't be hundred percent sure certainly. Nobody is 100% sure”

With additional reporting by Hassan Asif
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