Musharraf with CNN's Fareed Zakaria
By Riaz Haq
www.riazhaq.com
Last weekend on CNN GPS weekly show, Fareed Zakaria sat down with Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in an exclusive interview, aired on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Musharraf was the guest for the whole hour and they discussed his years in power and resignation, Pakistan's deadly struggle against the Taliban, strained relations between India and Pakistan, and Benazir Bhutto's death.
Plus, Musharraf explained what happened to America's $10 billion in aid to Pakistan over the last 10 years. Here's how Musharraf explained it:
"Five billion -- half of it -- is reimbursement for the services provided by Pakistan. It is not your money. It is our money.
“So, let me say it again. Half of it, $5 billion, is our money. We provided services to you, so you are repaying us. So, $5 billion gone there.
“Now we are left with $5 billion. Half of this $5 billion was meant for military, and the other half for social sector -- education, health and all that.
“So, half of it, which was for military, was for -- I mean, it is pittance to maintain the helicopters, the air force, the ammunition that is being used to fight all these people. It is too less. And there was a time when, out of our 20 attack helicopters, only two were serviceable.
“And I was -- I created a hue and cry. And then, only, could we get some support. So, that was for military support.
“Now, people keep claiming that we are using all that on the eastern border against India. Now, that is a separate story altogether. Yes, indeed, our army has been maintained to have security against any threat."
Responding to a question on why the Taliban have gained strength in the last several years, Musharraf explained:
"... they (Taliban) get their -- they are there because they are supporting in Afghanistan, because they are getting all their military hardware through Afghanistan. Where are they getting their -- the money comes through the drugs in Afghanistan. Arms comes from Afghanistan.
“So, Pakistan is a victim of what is happening in Afghanistan.
“The world and the United States, and whatever discussion we have had, is through Pakistan, and everything is in Pakistan. A third, a half of Afghanistan is under control of Taliban, of Mullah Omar.
“If you control here, if you are successful against Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan, let me assure you, the battle is not over, because Afghanistan is Afghanistan, and they will continue. If you succeed in Afghanistan, you will succeed in Pakistan.
“We have suffered because of what is happening in Afghanistan. And we still continue to suffer because of that. Our society, I would say, our social fabric has been torn, and we are trying to repair it.
“So, the world must understand, and the world must help Pakistan repair this torn fabric of ours, national fabric, instead of criticizing -- why is Pakistan like this, Pakistan is spreading Talibanization. At this moment, we are lucky -- the world is lucky -- that we have this army and the ISI.
“Now, instead of weakening them, abusing them, criticizing them, we must strengthen them. Because, if they don't deliver, who else is going to deliver? It will all fail.
So, therefore, don't criticize the ISI and army. They are suffering with all this, and yet, going ahead."
On the question of Pakistan's focus on threat from India, here is what Musharraf said:
"Well, we have to be balanced in our approach. On the eastern border, if Pakistan -- Pakistan's existence and security is under threat, when a big force like India is maintaining.
“Let me now come into the military figures. They have about 33 infantry divisions. Twenty-four are on Pakistan borders. They have three armored divisions, all three against Pakistan borders. They have three mechanized divisions, all three against Pakistan borders.
“Being a force commander, what would you do, when this huge force is there ready to attack you, and when they are saying that we are going to come and attack Pakistan, and when the public and the media is demanding that Pakistan should be punished and go and attack them?"
On Taliban threat versus Indian threat, Musharraf said:
"I think -- please, I think, Fareed, we must not try to teach the Pakistan army where is the threat coming from. They analyze things. We have conferences. They take very, very deliberate decisions. They know where the threat is down and when it is up. And they take action accordingly.
“When the Indian threat was there, when Indians, now, after the Mumbai attack, were talking of -- after the parliament attack, initially, they brought the whole army on our borders in 2002. Yes, indeed, we took the whole army against them.
“So, yes, we are looking after Taliban, but we have to look after the eastern border, also. So, the thoughts are divided.
“You analyze your threat wherever it is coming from, whether it is Taliban or Indians, and take balanced action."
