The cause of Pakistan pulls me toward my destiny: Musharraf

In an interview with Time magazine, former President Pervez Musharraf said that he would like to come back to Pakistan to stop the people’s suffering.

He said he governed the country for nine years — successfully and now Pakistan is suffering. He said there is a vacuum of leadership and therefore the cause of Pakistan pulls him towards his destiny.

The former president said that he would like to seriously object to the comparison with other dictators such as Ben Ali, Mubarak and Qadhafi. He said he left peacefully through his own volition. About Qadhafi he said that the will of the people should reign supreme. “It’s almost a civil war there. A political situation must be found.”With regards to the rising extremism in the country he said, “You have two choices: succumb to circumstances or do something. I know the people of Pakistan are moderate. It’s unfortunate when the government itself and the leadership appease the religious groups and extremists by turning a blind eye.”

Musharraf admitted that Pakistan is a very dangerous country but said that the most dangerous is Afghanistan.When asked about being a nuclear power he said, “Yes, we have nuclear weapons, and we are proud of it. Nuclear weapons are the pride of every man, woman and child walking in the streets of Pakistan. Why are we nuclear? Because of India.”For the future of Pakistan Musharraf said that it is due to the condition of the region that the country cannot progress. He said that in 1979 a jihad was launched in Afghanistan against the Soviets in which the religious militant groups were at the spearhead of the fight. He further elaborated by saying, “In effect we introduced religious militancy by design in Afghanistan, and then the US left the place high and dry. The responsibility lies with the West. The US encouraged it all, and we suffered. This is what we face. It comes from history.”