Pak would have faced US, India after 9/11: Musharraf
Pakistan would have faced the combined military might of the US and India if it had not allowed American troops on its territory to fight Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11 terror attacks, former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has said.
"I do not regret at all. I think it was a very correct decision and if I am told for the same situation I will take the same decision," he told Chinese state run CCTV in an interview from his exile in Dubai.
While his decision was prompted by his conviction that Taliban and its thoughts were not conducive for Pakistan, he was also concerned about the prospects of US troops operating from India to attack Taliban in Afghanistan violating Pakistan's sovereignty.
"Certainly the US was going to attack Afghanistan that was clear. Where can they attack from? Through India and India was all set and ready to extend all kinds of facilities," Musharraf said.
"If they come from India and we are not with them and what happens. Pakistan then has to oppose the might of US and India together. Because they had to go through Pakistan if they have to reach Afghanistan and our sovereignty will be violated whether on land or air, from wherever. Our sovereignty will be violated," the former military ruler said.
"So quite clearly that was not in the interest of Pakistan at all and Pakistan could not face the threat of the force that would have violated our sovereignty or had been opposed to us," he said.
While analysing what impact the decision to permit US troops from Pakistan he has taken into consideration the consequences for Pakistan siding with Taliban.
"I analysed what the impact would be of siding or not siding. Of basically that the first question that came to my mind was whether we want to Talibanise Pakistan?. Are we in favour of Taliban? Do we want that kind of a government in Pakistan? Do our views on Islam are the same as Taliban? No all negative, all negative. First decision was this. I do not want Taliban and Taliban thoughts in Pakistan, therefore why join them in the first place," he said.
About criticism that his decision resulted in 35,000 civilians in killed in Pakistan and Pakistan acquiring the reputation of most dangerous country, he said that "(about) the causalities you are talking off, if you see the details, 90 per cent had been suffered during the last three years. Go into the details and you will find that out."
"That is because the strong checks that we were having, because of government policies because of our strong decisions, things were much better," he said.
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