Pakistan Views

President Pervez Musharraf said the Western countries had failed to understand Pakistan on the issues of deposed chief justice, general elections and nuclear weapons.

Addressing members of a British think tank, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) on “vision for Pakistan, regional harmony”, the president gave firm assurances to hold free, fair and transparent elections on February 18.

He said the Western countries had developed some concerns with regard to his recent steps in Pakistan starting from the removal of the chief justice of Pakistan on March 9, imposition of emergency and human rights situation.

He said they all need to understand that he had to take extreme measures to deal with an extraordinary situation. Musharraf criticised the deposed chief justice of Pakistan and other sacked judges for launching judicial activism.

He blamed the deposed chief justice for corruption and claimed that he indulged in nepotism. He said although his fellow judges restored him without any legal provisions, he accepted the decision of the court, as in his opinion the Pakistan comes first.

To a question about statements of US presidential candidates regarding sending US troops into Pakistani territories, he said they (candidates) do not have any idea about the situation, as it was very different to be in the government office particularly when you get intelligence briefings in the morning.

He also warned that Americans do not understand tribal areas so they should not think of launching military operations there, as they would find it difficult to handle the situation afterwards. He said Pakistan was a sovereign country and he knew how to deal with its problems. He said people in Pakistan would not respond positively to US intrusion.

The president said that the only way for militants to gain access to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would be if al-Qaeda or the Taleban overthrew the army or if extremist religious groups won next month’s elections.

“I strongly am a believer in human rights and individual liberties and freedom of speech,” he said.

“The only thing that we would like is that this freedom should be in bounds and not lead to violence and destruction.

“We cannot allow anyone to destabilise us and lead us towards anarchy in the name of human rights,” he said.