Former President Pervez Musharraf said the Obama administration’s suspension of $800 million in aid to the Pakistani military was not in the interest of either nation and could hamper anti-terrorism efforts.
“We are weakening the country and the army,” Musharraf said during an address at the Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy. “It will have a negative effect certainly on the Pakistan army, on its capability to fight terrorism.”
Musharraf said he was saddened by the present environment of confrontation almost between Pakistan and the United States, between the two armies, the two intelligence services.”
“It saddens me because I remember when there was trust,” he said, pointing to what he said were his strong relationships with former president George W Bush and then secretary of state Colin Powell. “I could pick up the phone,” he said. “The line was always open. I wonder now if that degree of communication exists.”
He said there was a ‘trust deficit’ and a ‘confidence deficit’ between the two countries and the restoration of better relations depended on leadership and straight talk, beginning with Pakistani assurances to Washington that there was no complicity with providing haven for Osama bin Laden.
As he has in the past, Musharraf denied he or Pakistan’s domestic spy services knew of bin Laden’s location, at least during his time in power.
“‘For two years, I can for sure, with 100 percent guarantee, whether you believe it or not, I didn’t know,” he said.
As for the possibility of the army or the Pakistani intelligence service hiding that knowledge from him, he said, “No! Absolutely zero. They are my people. I commanded them. How could they hide from me?”
He said a step in easing the rift between the nations would start with the US taking into concern “our sensitivities, our own honour and dignity as a sovereign nation”. While Americans were angered at the possibility Pakistan was providing bin Laden cover, Pakistanis were enraged over what they saw as American violation of their sovereignty in the raid on bin Laden.
Musharraf said the start of any trust would begin ‘at the top level. “At the people’s level, I think gradually it will take time and be restored,” he said.
Since his departure from Pakistan, he has been living in Dubai and London and has been making speaking appearances at colleges and universities.
He has said he will return to his homeland no later than next March to resume his political ambitions and is considering a presidential run in 2013, which he called ‘the mother of all elections. “I am very conscious of this,” he said. “‘I am trying to contribute my bit to bring change about. We need to have determination and if it’s in Pakistan’s destiny to rise as a moderate progressive Islamic state.”
