I brought 'real' democracy to Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf

Former military dictator says people assume just because there are elections, there is a democratic set-up in place

Former president general (retd) Pervez Musharraf blatantly stated that he was the man who brought real democracy to Pakistan.

“People assume that just because there are elections, there is a democratic set-up in place,” the former dictator said in an exclusive interview with Indian media channel Zee News.

“Elections are just the beginning of democracy,” he said.

The former president said that India should start treating Pakistan as a sovereign state. "India should not ask us to submit to them, only then will it clear tensions between the two countries. And we will move forward through bilateral relations."

Musharraf said that he would not attend incumbent Indian president Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony – unlike Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did.

“I would certainly not visit India for Modi’s oath ceremony,” Musharraf said. Instead, the former dictator – who is currently facing several cases such as being tried for treason, and for the murders of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Nawab Akbar Bughti – said he would visit Modi separately after the ceremony was done with.

“I would come separately, but only to discuss substantive issues,” he stated.

Speaking about relations with former Indian prime minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Musharraf narrated a conversation he had with him.

“I said to him, prime minster sahib, there appears to be somebody above both of us who has veto power on our decisions,” he said. He spoke of how he told Vajpayee that they were “both being humiliated”.

Additionally, with the cricket World Cup in our midst, it was no surprise that the sport and its role in the relations between Pakistan and India would be a matter of discussion.

“Cricket diplomacy can be done in a positive and negative sense,” he said. “We should use the sport to foster better ties,” Musharraf said.