Musharraf looks to "counter Indians on their own home ground"

Islamabad, Feb 6 (PTI) Former Pakistan President Pervez
Musharraf is loving every moment of his retired life and is
looking forward to his lecture tour to India next month as he
plans to "counter the Indians on their own home ground".

After being at the helm of affairs for nine years, the
former military ruler is currently keeping himself busy giving
lectures. He has just returned to Pakistan after a two-week
lecture tour to the US.

"I love this life. I am relaxed and satisfied. And I am
enjoying my lecture tours. Next month I am going to India for
the same purpose. Let's counter the Indians on their own home
ground," Musharraf, who still occupies the well-guarded Army
House, the official residence of the army chief in Rawalpindi,
told the influential Dawn newspaper.

The report did not provide specific details of his
planned visit to India.

Musharraf also said he has no regrets about any of his
actions since the military coup that brought him to power in
October 1999.

He said politicians were equally responsible for the
state Pakistan was in and explained that the reason he
resigned as President -- a difficult decision for him -- was
because Pakistan was facing "critical circumstances".

Musharraf was the "Big Speaker" at the prestigious
Stanford University during his lecture tour of the US. Despite
a campaign by some Pakistanis to not let him speak, hordes of
Americans showed up to hear him and the retired general is
believed to have made quite a fortune.


Musharraf said democracy was the only system of
government that must continue, but its British model was not
suitable for Pakistan. He said the country needed a democratic
model tailored to its specific needs.

He also appeared annoyed with those who believed the
Inter-Services Intelligence agency was double crossing the
Americans. "How can one assume the ISI is playing a double
game? It was, in fact, the ISI that captured hundreds of Al
Qaida operatives from Pakistan," he said.

"I made it clear to the Americans that Pakistan is doing
enough in the war against terror. I warned them not to
distrust the ISI which has played a key role in breaking Al
Qaida networks in Pakistan."

Musharraf rejected allegations that he had been showing
leniency towards Taliban militants. Referring to the abortive
assassination attempts on his life, he said there was no way
that he would have taken such elements lightly.

While he was reluctant to talk about national politics,
Musharraf spoke extensively on the war against terror and
Pakistan's relations with India. He believed that a
half-hearted operation in the tribal areas and the
northwestern Swat valley would serve no purpose.

He claimed that during his tenure the militants were on
the run, but they took undue advantage of recent peace
initiatives of the incumbent government.

Musharraf proposed a sizeable increase in the strength of
the paramilitary Frontier Corps, saying it should be provided
tanks and the latest weaponry to take on the militants.

His critics have been blaming him for secretly allowing
the US to carry out drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas.
But he dismissed as untrue such allegations, though he
admitted that he was under strong American pressure to allow
the missile strikes. "I made it clear to them that only
Pakistani security forces had the authority to operate in the
tribal areas."

Musharraf also expressed no desire to re-enter politics
in the near future. He said he would deliver lectures in
different parts of the world. PTI RHL