NEW YORK: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Sunday said that while India has progressed as a democracy over the past 62 years, the Pakistani society is “deeply challenged”, citing 31 years of military rule.

“We have to support a credible strong government in Pakistan,” he said on CNN’s GPS programme with Fareed Zakaria, an Indian-American journalist. The interview was conducted at Miliband’s office in London.

Asked whether the Pakistan Army and ISI were still playing a double game – sometimes supporting the militants for use against India and clamping down on them on and then – and whether this vicious cycle has been broken, Miliband replied, “This cycle has to be stopped,” who earlier said that 70 percent of British terrorism problem had roots in Pakistan.

The British Foreign Secretary said terrorism poses real threat to Pakistan and not India, adding that India had better things to do as a major power than be involved in a standoff with Pakistan.

On the other hand, Miliband said Pakistan was caught up in a host of problems, including disputes among its provinces. But mentioned that there had been some change in Pakistani people’s attitude towards the militants when the extremists threatened Islamabad from their bases only 60 miles away.

As regards radicalisation among Muslim in Britain, including social exclusion and lack of really serious efforts aimed at promoting the welfare of minorities, Miliband viewed, “We must show respect (the Muslims), not buy respect.”

(Source: The Nation)

Former President, Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf appears on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria program GPS. He gives candid responses to Zakaria’s probing questions with frankness and outspokenness including calling a spade a spade with respect to Pak-Afghan relations, Pak-US friendship over the years, shortcomings of the War on Terror being fought in Afghanistan, and how Taliban now control more than 50 percent of Afghanistan thereby becoming a problem for Pakistan rather than the other way as being perceived by many.

Plus, Musharraf explains what happened to America’s $10 billion in aid to Pakistan over the last 10 years, and whether or not he would consider running again for office. A Must Watch!

NEW YORK: Former president Pervez Musharraf has expressed the confidence that Pakistan army will prevail over the Taliban who have challenged the writ of the government, but said that ‘winning hearts and minds’ of people may be difficult.

Talking to some Pakistani reporters at a hotel here on Friday, Gen (retd) Musharraf rejected a suggestion that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had come to the fore during his watch.

‘This was the consequence of the Feb 18 election and the Taliban got strong then as they got a free hand under the new ANP government,’ he said. ‘In my time they were hiding,’ he claimed. However, he added, ‘I am convinced that our army will drive the enemies of the state away but we have to win the hearts and minds also.’

As to how long could such an operation last, he said it was difficult to predict. Asked about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets, Musharraf said they were ‘absolutely secure’, adding that people of Pakistan would never allow anyone to capture them.

When a reporter suggested that when he was president he did everything according to American wishes, Musharraf said: ‘I never bowed before anybody and did everything in Pakistan’s best interest.’

In reply to a charge that he was involved in the murder of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti and arrest of JSQM (Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz) leader Dr Safdar Saraki, he said: ‘I will not dignify your question with an answer.’

In an interview with CNN, the former president said he would run for office once the two-year restriction expired. According to him, President Zardari with an approval rating of 19 per cent did not have the support to fight Taliban.

‘If Pakistan is in trouble and if any Pakistani, myself included – if you can see that we can do something for it – well … my life is for Pakistan,’ he told Fareed Zakaria on GPS.

Musharraf said he wished the government well. ‘But one is concerned about Pakistan, certainly,’ he said. ‘One does get concerned about where we are headed and what are we doing.’