Pervez PervMusharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
continues to make headlines with his outspoken views.
At 74, the former army chief, who lives with his mother and wife in a tastefully decorated apartment in downtown Dubai, still displays the toughness associated with a soldier. He runs his own political party, the All Pakistain Moslem League (APML), and is facing several court cases.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, he spoke about various issues facing Pakistain and beyond. Mr Musharraf criticised the Pakistain government for not siding with the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) ‐ comprising Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain ‐ against Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi.... "I’m shocked at how the Pakistain government dealt with the Qatar crisis. Qatar was never with Pakistain, and we witnessed this many a time," he said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE "have always been Pakistain’s great friends. We must never do anything that’s against either country ‐ both have always stood by us, and we must value their friendship", he added.
Citing the Pakistain’s ruling party’s business interests in Qatar, he said his country’s "larger interests were ignored over personal business interests. If that’s the priority, then God save our country".
Gen Musharraf’s words and deeds on Kashmire continue to be an area of interest for most observers and stakeholders.
"I’ve started working for the cause by taking a big initiative on the resolution of the Kashmire issue," he said.
"I and other like-minded people have formed a group that consists of popular and prominent people from Pakistan, India and both sides of Kashmire. We’ll go to the UN, and the Indian and Pak governments," he added.
"The Kashmire issue can be resolved, and I strongly believe that the present Indian government is capable of doing it because they represent the hard-liners."