By NNN-APP
Islamabad : President Pervez Musharraf Saturday ruled out an investigation by the United Nations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
He said country’s own institutions and Scotland Yard team could be counted on.
“Pakistan is not Lebanon. It’s a simple murder. We have our own institutions and we can count on the help of Scotland Yard,” Musharraf said in an interview with the French Le Figaro, while referring to Pakistan Peoples Party’s demand for a probe by United Nations into the case on the pattern of one conducted for former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
He hoped that investigation report will be made public before the election, which, he said would be held on February 18.
“They will be held whatever happens. We have to defeat terrorists campaign aimed at derailing the democratic and economic process.”
He said the government had taken all measures to ensure that the election was held in a free, fair and transparent manner.
He said it was a custom in Pakistan that if opposition wins, there was no problem, but if it loses, it blames the government of fraud.
Questioned why he asked Benazir Bhutto not to return before the elections, the President said he feared for her safety.
About the threat from Al-Qaida and other extremists, the President said they did not have the capacity to destabilize the country, but their suicide bombers created disorder.
The President stressed that Pakistan was not on the verge of disintegration. However, he pointed that the country was facing a campaign orchestrated by extremists, who were against all those who oppose their obscurantist views, but added that they have no support among the people.
About the war against terrorism, the President said it was not on behalf of the United States, but was on behalf of Pakistan.
“It is in the interest of Pakistan to root out terrorism and extremism. It is the wish of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
About reports of the US sending reinforcements to Afghanistan, the President said it was good as the US must win the war against the terrorists and mobilize the Afghan forces.
He said that Pakistan was a sovereign country. “All those who believe that they can do better than the Pakistani army, are sadly mistaken,” he added.
The President also rejected the allegations about not doing enough against terrorism, in the media and said these were not reflective of the official line.
“How can one say that we are not doing enough? We are the only country to have arrested or eliminated from 600 to 700 members of al-Qaida,” the President said.
He said not a single major leader of al-Qaida or the Taliban has been arrested or eliminated in Afghanistan. The Pakistani army has deployed 100,000 soldiers, and has lost at least a thousand, while the country’s Pakistani secret services has been the victim of many suicide attack and suffered heavy losses.
When asked about the threat by the United States to condition their financial aid to Pakistan, President Musharraf said over the past six years the country has received a total of about $ 9 billion dollars, of which more than half was received as part of the fight against terrorism.
The President said in addition to the foreign al-Qaida, there were “radical Taliban.”
He emphasized that all the Taliban were not terrorists, but the radical activists supported the Taliban in Afghanistan, including Mullah Omar and his followers. He said they recruit young people to fight in Afghanistan.
He said since Pakistan was trying to prevent them from acting in the neighboring country, they had turned against the country.
“There are people like Baitullah Mehsud, in the tribal area of South Waziristan, who are recruiting suicide bombers and sends them against all those who try to get in their way such as Benazir Bhutto and he himself.”
He said the extremists were potential terrorists and stressed a long-term fight against it.
He said democracy was the path that needs to be followed and stressed that in Pakistan, democracy will gradually make its way but at own pace.
“The West cannot impose its way of thinking,” he said and added that he did more in six years to advance democracy than his predecessors did in fifty years.
“I may be a military man, but I am not a dictator,” he added.
About his popularity, he said though it had dropped, adding “but I am not unpopular.”
“I know very well what is the support that I have from the masses, the elite and the army. The day I think that I am genuinely unpopular, I will be the first to resign,” he added