 MULTAN: President Pervez Musharraf urged Pakistanis on Saturday to combat Islamic extremists and stop them misusing mosques and religious schools. Speaking to thousands of people at a rally in Multan, Musharraf said eliminating extremism was vital to turn Pakistan into a prosperous and progressive country. "Those who are using our sacred places like mosques and madrassas to spread extremism and hatred should be stopped," he said. "Don't support them. Stand against them and speak against them. Pakistan needs enlightened moderation to be spread among the people at this time. Whoever is trying to take us to extremism, is in fact leading us to disaster," he said.
| I think he should kill them, myself, but he so seldom listens to me... |
The president urged people not to vote for extremist parties in the upcoming local government elections this year, or in the next general elections, and vote for moderates instead.
| Assuming they can find any... |
He said foreign investors were coming to Pakistan to set up new factories and create jobs, and it was essential that extremists not be allowed to disrupt this process. He said Pakistan now had a more genuine democracy. Other developing countries were copying Pakistan's local government system, which was free from the influence of powerful people. The provinces had been given more autonomy and their governments were spending billions of rupees on development.
In an interview on CNN on Saturday, Musharraf said the international community should not begrudge him his dual role as president and army chief, as it was that which had allowed him to effect Pakistan's turnaround since his takeover in 1999, NNI reported. "The constitution of Pakistan allows me to hold these two offices and the world should not grudge that," Musharraf told CNN in an interview.
| "I know it does. I wrote that part myself." |
"I think it is this uniform which allowed me to change the realities in Pakistan. We were almost going to be declared a failed state, a defaulted state, a terrorist state in 99. We have a totally different image now. And that is the uniform, together with my having run this government and run this country." Musharraf said he had done a lot for democracy in Pakistan and his uniform was the only issue remaining. "One should not nullify all the acts that have been done already." He said he was aware of the views of world leaders regarding his uniform and his charge of Pakistan, but he was most concerned about what is best for the country. |