Click to play videoFormer Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has admitted that though there was a shift in attitude towards anti-India terror groups in Pakistan, there are still enemies within the Pakistani leadership.
In a interview to CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate, Musharraf hinted there may be terror sympathisers in the Pakistani leadership and the army.
He also added that the biggest threat to Pakistan was from the Taliban and the al Qaeda and not from India. Excerpts from the interview:
Karan Thapar: But is there a possibility that today - when the shift has taken place and the organisations are being reined in and checked - some elements of the (Pakistani) establishment may regard them as assets. Is that one reason why people like Hafeez Saeed, or Zarar Shah or Lakhvi are not being prosecuted as India wants?
Pervez Musharraf: I wouldn't say official patronage will be given to that. (But) there are some individuals who have sympathy with them on what they did, there are many people against the policy of political dialogue; they are for carrying on Mujahideen activities. There are elements who are sympathetic to that view.
Karan Thapar:And hence they therefore may be more sympathetic of Hafeez Saeed and people like Lakhvi or Zarar Shah?
Pervez Musharraf: Yes, but that doesn't mean there is official, government patronage or IS or army patronage.
Karan Thapar: Today, the real enemy Pakistan faces is extremism within the country.
Pervez Musharraf: Yes, indeed. But having said that if there are threatening noises coming from the Indian side, then one has to again see. Threat perception has to carried out very regularly and it is done by the Army. At this moment, you are absolutely correct, but I only hope that no politician in India again starts to make aggressive sounds of “let's go and punish Pakistan”.
Karan Thapar: But Mr Musharraf give me a clear answer, which are you saying. Today which is the bigger threat?
Pervez Musharraf: Today under the absolute present circumstances, the biggest threat is extremism and terrorism by Taliban, al-Qaeda, by the extremists in our society.
Watch the complete interview with Pervez Musharraf on CNN-IBN at 2200 hrs IST on Friday, July 17
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