KARACHI – Former president Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan should respond tit for tat for ceasefire violations by India along the working boundary and the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed state of Jammu Kashmir.
In an interview with a private TV channel, the former ruler spoke his heart about ongoing skirmishes with India and said that Pakistan has limitations as it knows that if it responded with shelling, the Kashmiri brethren on the other side of the LoC would be the ultimate sufferers.
Musharraf said that both the Indian government and the army have no concern for the sufferings of the Kashmiri people. “Mr (Narendra) Modi is an anti-Muslim and an anti-Pakistan politician. While negotiating with him one must hold cards close,” he said. “Instead of running to attend his (Modi) inauguration like we used to do in British Raj, we should keep our dignity,” he said.
Musharraf said that diplomacy was driven through domestic strength and via leadership qualities, both of which are lacking currently. In diplomatic overtures, national interests should be held supreme instead of personal interests, he said, adding that sovereign equality, honour and dignity were each nation's right.
On completion of 16 years after he took power from Nawaz Sharif in 1999 and initiation of different trials against him, Musharraf said he was free to move anywhere but security issues confine him. “I have always led from the front even as an army commander and its chief during war and peace. I have earned respect with my actions and belief that still Pakistan Army loves me,” he said.
He admitted that he had made mistakes in the past. "NRO was one of my mistakes. But it was after due argument and discussion that in the national interest I agreed half heartedly. But when I look back today it is one of the decisions I despise,” he said. “However what can I do? If our courts after 10 years are absolving people like Asif Zardari of eight out of 10 cases. I could not have influence on court's decision. It was court's responsibility to decide which unfortunately was not done,” he said.
However, Musharraf said he felt vindicated on the reference that he submitted with the Supreme Judicial Council against then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and time proved that all the charges against him were right. He explained that Justice Iftikhar was appointed as per rules of the Supreme Court, not by his personal choice, and he respected those rules.
Further, he mentioned that again time showed that the lawyers' movement was nothing short of a political ploy and how much damage Iftikhar Chaudhry has done to the nation unfortunately. He also said his decision on Lal Masjid was right. “We took all decisions amicably in the cabinet and I strongly denounce perception that I took dictatorial decisions,” he said. “We gave institutions to Pakistan and tried to stabilise and strengthen them,” he insisted.
"In my time, Pakistanis were respected and had honour globally, but now they walk with their heads down unfortunately,” he said. "There is no point in getting elections done in this environment without procedural, structural and electoral reforms. The whole system needs re-engineering. Otherwise the same lot would get elected and come into power from other platforms,” he said. He said he was not a vindictive person and never took any revenge from the Sharif family.
Musharraf wants tit-for-tat response to India, calls Modi anti-Pakistan
