Difficult to end terror camps in Pak, militancy may rise: Musharraf

New Delhi: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf while speaking on the increase in militancy in Kashmir linked it to the pull-out of coalition forces from Afghanistan. In an interview to CNN-IBN's Suhasini Haidar, Musharraf said the pull-out's consequences are going to spill over into Pakistan and India.

Below is an excerpt of the interview:

Suhasini Haider: Do you think in the aftermath of the Afghanistan pull-out of international forces in particular, there is a worry about militancy once again being on the rise particularly in Kashmir?

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf while speaking on the increase in militancy in Kashmir linked it to the pull-out of coalition forces from Afghanistan.

Pervez Musharraf: Let me very frankly tell you - yes, is the short answer. But let me say I have always been saying that in 2014 with the pull-out of coalition forces, the scenario in Afghanistan will either revert to 1989 with all ethnic groups fighting each other. Or 1997, when it was Taliban versus Northern alliance. In either case, it's going to spill over into Pakistan and beyond into India. This is surely going to be happening. So please this is a complex situation which governments of both countries have to handle but its spill-over will be into Pakistan and then into India also.

Suhasini Haider: There is an implied threat in what you're saying but..

Pervez Musharraf: This is not a threat. I am giving a threat. The problem with you all is you don't want to listen to facts. It's not a threat. I am giving you a factual situation as I understand, as I visualise.

Suhasini Haider: In 2002, you gave a commitment, a public commitment to the world that you wouldn't allow Pakistani soil to be used for anti-India terror groups. It wasn't a commitment you could keep then. We saw the Mumbai attacks of 2008, being planned in Pakistan. If you were to come back to a position of power, would you be able to give that commitment?

Pervez Musharraf: It's a very difficult situation that we will face.. we are already facing. When this freedom struggle in Kashmir started in 1989, which you call insurgency of course, then there were multiple. There were dozens of Mujahideen groups which erupted inside Pakistan. Now these volunteers were massive. It was not that this is one organisation which is immediately controllable.

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