Conspiracies against ISI to destabilise Pakistan: Musharraf

The ISI is a very important institution and conspiracies to destabilise it and the army will likely destabilise Pakistan, former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf said on Monday.
He was addressing Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) students via video conference. Musharraf said that the prime minister had forwarded the reference against the CJP during his tenure and he acted on the reference in accordance with the constitution. The former president said that the decision taken on November 3, 2007 was a joint decision of the prime minister, military and the political leadership. Responding to a question, Musharraf said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and imposing restrictions on the media were his only mistakes but there were no allegations of corruption and bad governance during his tenure. The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) president said that the country’s political leadership were notorious for corruption but “he inducted best and honest people in his cabinet during his presidential tenure and asked former PM Shaukat Aziz to assume the charge of finance minister, which he accepted on a meager income”.
Replying to a question regarding the Afghanistan situation, the former president said that if a stable political government was not established before the exit of NATO forces, there might be a possibility of a situation similar to that in the 1990s and all ethnic groups in Afghanistan could engage in war, which could also be critical for Pakistan.
Musharraf, 68, said that the US had realised the fact that stability in Afghanistan could not be ensured without Pakistan’s assistance but the federal government had failed to make its stance clear on the Haqqani network. He said that the political situation in Pakistan was deteriorating and for the stability of the country, the masses should stop voting for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The former president said that for the betterment and strengthening of Pakistan, new political forces should be brought forth and if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan or any other leader could dare to do bring a change, the APML had no objection.