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WASHINGTON: A red-faced Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's former military ruler, has conceded that he has "Indian blood" in him, a fact that made him a votary of peace with India.
The embarrassing moment for Musharraf, who has a hard-nosed approach to India, came during a talk at the Carnegie Endowment on Wednesday when an audience member reminded him that he was born in India and has Indian blood in him after he (Musharraf) claimed he was "reasonably popular" in India despite his bluntness towards New Delhi, where he was born.
"Well, yes. I admit, yes indeed," a discomfited Musharraf said amid laughter in the audience about the question of Indian blood. "That is why I say that India and Pakistan must have peace. I'm a strong - very strong believer: We must have peace."
But that didn't stop the architect of the Kargil war and terrorist incursions into India from launching a familiar tirade against New Delhi for its footprint in Afghanistan, which he and his fellow military minds see as a threat to Pakistan's interests that centers around a power grab for the Taliban and other medieval forces.
"Now, India is trying to create anti-Pakistan Afghanistan. This is most unfortunate, and I am not saying this because I am Indo-centric or I'm anti-India. I know this through intelligence; I know this to be a fact," he ranted. His "proof"? Afghanistan's diplomats, its intelligence and security people, army men all go to India for training. There they get indoctrinated against Pakistan.
Musharraf complained that in his time, he was "bending backwards" inviting them to Pakistan for free of cost training, but "not one till day - to date has come to Pakistan."
Musharraf whose record of dissembling and bluster has had US editorials calling him "mendacious," did not reflect on general hatred for Pakistan in Afghanistan for its depredations there and Kabul's historical ties with India. Still, he told the mostly American audience "we must not allow this (Indian influence in Afghanistan) to continue because then one must not grudge if Pakistan orders ISI to take countermeasures to protect its own interest."
While that implicit threat skirted around Pakistan's widely-recognised use of terrorism as an instrument state policy, a BBC documentary titled "Secret Pakistan" broadcast on Wednesday once again exposed Pakistan's nexus with terrorism, including ISI's training of Taliban elements. Several Taliban commanders interviewed for the documentary attested to being trained by ISI handlers.
But while rationalizing Pakistan's policies now regarded as folly in Washington, Musharraf represented himself as a peacenik, going so far as to suggest a rapproachment between the ISI and the Indian intelligence agency RAW.
While admitting that ties between the US and Pakistan were at an all-time low, Musharraf rubbished the prospect of war between the two as visualized by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said in that case Kabul would support Islamabad.
"It's ridiculous and preposterous...I mean, this can never happen. So why comment?" Musharraf snorted, advising Karzai to "Please look after the Taliban and al-Qaida; that is enough. Don't support Pakistan. Pakistan will look after itself."
Pervez Musharraf concedes he has 'Indian blood', hence for peace with India - The Times of India
The embarrassing moment for Musharraf, who has a hard-nosed approach to India, came during a talk at the Carnegie Endowment on Wednesday when an audience member reminded him that he was born in India and has Indian blood in him after he (Musharraf) claimed he was "reasonably popular" in India despite his bluntness towards New Delhi, where he was born.
"Well, yes. I admit, yes indeed," a discomfited Musharraf said amid laughter in the audience about the question of Indian blood. "That is why I say that India and Pakistan must have peace. I'm a strong - very strong believer: We must have peace."
But that didn't stop the architect of the Kargil war and terrorist incursions into India from launching a familiar tirade against New Delhi for its footprint in Afghanistan, which he and his fellow military minds see as a threat to Pakistan's interests that centers around a power grab for the Taliban and other medieval forces.
"Now, India is trying to create anti-Pakistan Afghanistan. This is most unfortunate, and I am not saying this because I am Indo-centric or I'm anti-India. I know this through intelligence; I know this to be a fact," he ranted. His "proof"? Afghanistan's diplomats, its intelligence and security people, army men all go to India for training. There they get indoctrinated against Pakistan.
Musharraf complained that in his time, he was "bending backwards" inviting them to Pakistan for free of cost training, but "not one till day - to date has come to Pakistan."
Musharraf whose record of dissembling and bluster has had US editorials calling him "mendacious," did not reflect on general hatred for Pakistan in Afghanistan for its depredations there and Kabul's historical ties with India. Still, he told the mostly American audience "we must not allow this (Indian influence in Afghanistan) to continue because then one must not grudge if Pakistan orders ISI to take countermeasures to protect its own interest."
While that implicit threat skirted around Pakistan's widely-recognised use of terrorism as an instrument state policy, a BBC documentary titled "Secret Pakistan" broadcast on Wednesday once again exposed Pakistan's nexus with terrorism, including ISI's training of Taliban elements. Several Taliban commanders interviewed for the documentary attested to being trained by ISI handlers.
But while rationalizing Pakistan's policies now regarded as folly in Washington, Musharraf represented himself as a peacenik, going so far as to suggest a rapproachment between the ISI and the Indian intelligence agency RAW.
While admitting that ties between the US and Pakistan were at an all-time low, Musharraf rubbished the prospect of war between the two as visualized by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said in that case Kabul would support Islamabad.
"It's ridiculous and preposterous...I mean, this can never happen. So why comment?" Musharraf snorted, advising Karzai to "Please look after the Taliban and al-Qaida; that is enough. Don't support Pakistan. Pakistan will look after itself."
Pervez Musharraf concedes he has 'Indian blood', hence for peace with India - The Times of India
