Musharraf calls PML-N leaders toothless ‘paper lions’ following chargesheet against him

NORTH CAROLINA - In the wake of the 16-point charge sheet issued by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against Pervez Musharraf, the former president said that PML-N leaders are just paper lions and their charges were of no value.

Addressing the maiden meeting of All Pakistan Muslim League workers in Green Borough, Musharraf said that only 40 per cent of Pakistani people take part in the election process while the 60 per cent do not even bother to vote as they think all politicians are ‘corrupt’, The Nation reported.

60 per cent of people want a change in the system and they are all with him, he claimed, while appealing to all the Pakistanis to come forward, as politics needed them.

He also said that he would definitely go to Pakistan to represent the 60 per cent people who want change.

Meanwhile, in an interview with ABC news, Musharraf lashed out at the international community for endlessly blaming Islamabad for not doing enough against terrorists, saying that the world should understand that his country was battling against many fronts, including the problem of extremism within the society.

‘Pakistan has always been accused of not doing enough, but I totally disagree with this statement. Pakistan is doing enough’, he said, adding, ‘There are many, many fronts that we are battling against. I think we should be proud of that Army which is battling against al Qaeda, against Taliban, against Taliban spreading into settled districts.’

Commenting on the army’s plans in North Waziristan, where the US is pushing Pakistan to launch an offensive, Musharraf said the fact that the military was going slow in the troubled region did not mean it was not doing enough on all fronts.

‘Now how they intend doing it, what is their plan, as you are saying, that they are not doing enough in North Waziristan? To at least say that they are not doing enough in North Waziristan, but don’t generalise the statement that Pakistan Army is not doing enough’, he said.

He also took strong exception to reports that the ISI continues to give sustenance and support to the Taliban.

‘I take very strong exception to these statements which have been going on may be since 2004 because of a misunderstanding of ground realities’, he noted.

In an apparent reference to the Afghan reconciliation efforts, the former general said that he stood vindicated, as he had always insisted that after defeating the Taliban after 9/11, a change in strategy was needed to bring peace.

‘We need to go in for deals… So my strategy always was to trike a deal, strike a deal to win away Pashtun from the aliban. This is, in my view, are vindicated now when everyone is alking of going into some political agreements with moderate aliban.’ (ANI)