PLEASE NOTE "THE ANDREW MARR SHOW" MUST BE CREDITED IF ANY PART OF THIS TRANSCRIPT IS USED On Sunday 3rd October 2010, Andrew Marr interviewed former President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. ANDREW MARR: For almost ten years, General Pervez Musharraf was President of Pakistan. Having seized power, with the help of the army, his rule was marked by a bloody war against Islamic insurgents within his country. Pakistan is still a crucial ally of the West, but after floods and endless violence, it is a country in terrible trouble, and yesterday General Musharraf called on Britain and America to rethink any withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He was speaking here in Birmingham at a rally for his new political party, which he hopes will bring him back to power. Good morning, Mr Musharraf. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Good morning, Andrew. ANDREW MARR: Now you have been effectively in exile in this country and you have now set up a political party. Why? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Seeing the conditions in Pakistan, I personally feel that we are suffering. We are suffering economically, law and order-wise, and also there is political turmoil. In these conditions, I don't see a political alternative in Pakistan which can deliver Pakistan, show some light to Pakistan in the darkness that it is at the moment. ANDREW MARR: Do you think it's a country on the edge of collapse? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: No, I don't think so, I don't think so as long. As the armed forces of Pakistan are strong, the country can never collapse. ANDREW MARR: You have said that the armed forces are critical, that the people in Pakistan look now to the army before they look to politicians, which would lead some people to think that your new political party is going to be a front for a return to power by the army. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: No, not at all, absolutely not. In fact, I am looking for the legitimacy for myself provided by the people of Pakistan, by the masses of Pakistan. Unfortunately that legitimacy I lacked in those ten years where while I know that I was not a dictator, I believed in democratic norms, but I was considered, perceived as a dictator around the world. ANDREW MARR: How you came to power partly was why. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Well I didn't take power myself. I was given the power by the previous prime minister who suspended me when I was up in the air. So, therefore, I personally feel now I come with the people's power, that is what is actually required to correct Pakistan. ANDREW MARR: But clearly you can't campaign as a politician in Pakistan without going there. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes. ANDREW MARR: And equally clearly, for you going there is fraught with danger because you could be put on trial and you could face assassination attempts, as happened to Benazir Bhutto. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes, both points are correct. ANDREW MARR: So how do you deal with this? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: And you are absolutely right that ultimately although I can start my political career here and there will be a lot of political support in Pakistan even when I am abroad, but ultimate support, the ultimate power that will come from the people will be when I reach Pakistan. I do intend going there before the election; there is no doubt in my mind. There are risks involved. You pointed the two which are the ones. At the moment there is no case against me whatsoever; and if at all the cases are initiated, they are all done because of political victimisation. And one has to face all that. I will face it. I will face it boldly because I know … ANDREW MARR: So there will come a point where you will get on a plane and fly back and try to lead your party, your new party from there? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes. Yes, absolutely. ANDREW MARR: And do you know when that is yet? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: No, well I haven't fixed a date. But one thing I'm clear about is that I will be there before the next elections. ANDREW MARR: Which are 2013? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: 2013 if everything goes normally. ANDREW MARR: Yes, if everything goes normally - which it often doesn't. And what about the security situation, particularly in Northern Pakistan? If you were there, would it be an absolute priority to be cracking down much harder on the Afghan Taliban and indeed Al Qaeda up in the North? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes, absolutely, because I think at the moment the biggest problem of Pakistan is terrorism and extremism within certain elements of its society. We have to have a different strategy for each, so the game … the problem doesn't end with dealing with Al Qaeda or the Taliban. It is also extremism in our society which is spawning that terrorism, so therefore we need to get to the root cause and address that in the long-term also. And certainly I would like to deal with that more strongly, but we have to have a strategy and we have to have second line forces which ought to be able to deal with them - equip them more, more force, better equipment - so that the army, the load is taken off the army partially, so that they are in the supportive role only. ANDREW MARR: And explain why you are so concerned about the British and American discussions about a timetable to withdraw from Afghanistan. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes, I am concerned because I think that that will be the fourth blunder. I keep saying there are three blunders that we have committed in the past. The last one was more serious - that when we defeated the Taliban, when the American and the coalition forces defeated Taliban, with the help of Northern Alliance, which is a minority of Tajik, Uzbek, Hazaras and all Taliban are Pahtuns, which is 50% of Afghanistan - I coined a term back in 2002, all Taliban are Pahtuns, but all Pahtuns are not Taliban. Let's lean away the Pahtuns. ANDREW MARR: And that was a failure to draw them in … GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes, yes. ANDREW MARR: … and now to say that there's a limit to the war and we're going home would be another similar failure? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Yes, that would be the fourth blunder because that really will encourage the terrorists. ANDREW MARR: And to those British people watching who don't maybe understand Pakistani politics very much, what would you say to them about Britain's immediate interest in all of this - and I'm thinking about you know the latest terrorist plots being uncovered in Pakistan and so on? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: The British … The battle there against terrorists and extremists is a battle for the region and for the world even because we must know that there's a nexus developing between all - that is Al Qaeda, Taliban, extremists in our society, the religious extremists in India, in Kashmir, and also in China. And then we are talking of AQIM and AQAB and there is extremism here. ANDREW MARR: And those people here who say oh Musharraf's just a puppet of the Americans and the British, what would you say to them? GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Well I have never in my life been a puppet to anyone, so I laugh at that. That's all that I can do. ANDREW MARR: Alright. Well you've had one rally. No doubt many more rallies and fundraising and all the rest of it to come. But for now, Mr Musharraf, thank you very much indeed for joining us. GENERAL MUSHARRAF: Thank you. Thank you. INTERVIEW ENDS
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?