Pakistan Could Become Target of War After Iraq: Musharraf

Press Trust of India
January 19, 2003
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_141784,00050002.htm

In a significant observation, President Pervez Musharraf has said there was an "impending danger" of Pakistan becoming a target of war for "Western forces" after the Iraq crisis and all out efforts should be made to avoid such a situation.

Addressing a meeting of businessmen and industrialists in Lahore on Saturday, he said it was being speculated that Pakistan would become the target of "western forces" after Iraq crisis and there were chances of such an eventuality.

"We will have to work on our own to stave off the danger. Nobody will come to our rescue, not even the Islamic world. We will have to depend on our muscle", Musharraf was quoted as saying by The News daily on Sunday.

The statement is seen here as an "extraordinary observation" as he spoke not only of crisis similar to Iraq, but even expressed doubts about "western forces".

On the the Taliban and Al-Qaeda regrouping, he said "some foreigners in Pakistan are harming US interests here though we take them as brothers."

Musharraf also appealed to Pakistanis to shun extremism. "Muslims are suffering everywhere but in the hour of the need no one would help us because everyone has his own interests. We will have to be a very moderate county not with a confrontationist approach but with liberal mind."

He said he wanted US troops to stay in Afghanistan to improve the security in that war-torn country. "I think the US for the time being should stay for the stability of Afghanistan which would ultimately benefit Pakistan. All the gas and oil pipelines would pass through Pakistan once peace is restored in Afghanistan", Musharraf said.

© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2002.

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