Musharraf says Pakistan government needs to work harder to combat extremists

London, April 05, 2011 (PPI): Former President Pervez Musharraf Tuesday told Sky News that Pakistan government needs to work harder to combat Islamic extremists within its borders.

Musharraf, who has been based in London since he resigned in 2008 amid threat of impeachment, said Islamabad had effectively "turned a blind eye" to militants. He said it was in the country's strategic interest to fight terrorism - and the government needed to take a tougher line on internal extremists. "Unfortunately it is because of a degree of appeasement being carried out by the government and not taking very strong action against these extremists," he told Sky's Adam Boulton.

"Because the moment you give them this leeway of appeasing or turning a blind eye to whatever they are doing, they then get more encouraged." His comments come as British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Pakistan in an attempt to patch up relations after he last year claimed Islamabad was "looking both ways" on terrorism.

Musharraf said extremists in Pakistan were the "common enemy. We can't say Pakistan poses a threat, it's those terrorists who pose a threat. Terrorists are, first of all, targeting Pakistan itself - look at how many people are dying there.

"It's the terrorists who are a common enemy to all - the whole world." He agreed that Pakistan appeared to be heading in an anti-West direction, but that was because the people were mistrustful of Washington and feared being "used" by the US.

Last year Musharraf launched a new political party and vowed to return home to compete in the scheduled 2013 elections. However, a court in Pakistan issued arrest warrant for Musharraf over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.