Former president of Pakistan criticises India's role in Afghanistan

(9 Nov 2010)
1. Wide shot room at Council on Foreign Relations in New York, talk with Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan, in progress
2. Tight shot of crowd
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan:
"Yes indeed the centre of gravity of terrorism and extremism is Afghanistan and the tribal agencies of Pakistan, there's no doubt in that, but to fight it, if we are to put Pakistan into a corner and then try to address terrorism and extremism, I don't think that is very wise."
4. Tight shot camera cutaway
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan:
"India's role in Afghanistan is to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan - that is very clear to me. Their consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad are actually involved in creating trouble in Pakistan; they have no other role."
6. Tight shot of crowd
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan:
"The fact of the matter is now again, we are almost a defaulted state, or a failed state, yes, and we were the same in 1999. So, as I've said, this is what democracy gives Pakistan. So, therefore, we have to analyze what is happening in Pakistan, I think it is a pure failure of leadership."
8. Mid shot of crowd
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan:
"I will have to agree that drone attacks do target militants. That may be the positive of it. We do want to target militants. But the negatives are two: one, indiscriminate, therefore collateral, damage. Number two: Pakistan does not want any violation of its sovereignty..."
10. Wide shot of crowd
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan:
"Which I said there is an even chance of managing, of accomplishing. So I thought when there's an even chance, and when I see darkness in Pakistan and no political party and no leader capable of delivering, so I thought it was better that I go down having tried and failed rather than not having tried at all."
12. Wide shot of crowd
STORYLINE:
In an address in New York on Tuesday, Pakistan's former president, Pervez Musharraf, criticised India's role in Afghanistan, and also disapproved of his own country's efforts to fight terrorists.
"India's role in Afghanistan is to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan," the former leader said to a group gathered at The Council on Foreign Relations, a foreign policy thinktank based in Manhattan.
Musharraf said India's consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad are "involved in creating trouble in Pakistan; they have no other role."
He called present day Pakistan "almost a defaulted state, or a failed state," saying the country's problems stemmed from "a pure failure of leadership".
He also addressed the thorny topic of US drone attacks which stray over the border into Pakistan, sometimes killing Pakistanis, which have caused outrage and anti-US feeling in the country.
While Musharraf agreed that they targeted militants, he said there were two negative consequences: collateral damage and violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
Musharraf is currently touring the US in a sort of political comeback, having already held events in Florida and New Jersey.
He stepped down as president in 2008 amid protests and under threat of impeachment.
He now lives in Britain.
The former president formed a new political party this year and is targeting a presidential run in 2013.
Musharraf said he felt compelled to throw his hat once more into the political arena because there was "even chance" of getting back into power.
He has not said when he will return to Pakistan.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/0d071537da2fefdfdc403c42c2c362b6

Видео Former president of Pakistan criticises India's role in Afghanistan канала AP Archive