Pakistan’s former military dictator Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that Islamabad trained militant underground groups to fight against India in Kashmir — the first such clear admission by a top Pakistani government leader.
“They were indeed formed. The government turned a blind eye because they wanted India to discuss Kashmir,” Mr Musharraf told German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview. Mr Musharraf formally launched his political career in London last Friday by forming the All-Pakistan Muslim League.
He had said on Friday that normalisation of the relationship with India after resolution of all disputes, especially Kashmir, was one of the main aims of his party.
In the interview, Mr Musharraf described Kashmir as the “core issue of Pakistan”, and blamed the West for inaction. “The West is ignoring resolution of the Kashmir issue, which is the core issue of Pakistan. We expected the West — especially the United States and important countries like Germany — to resolve the Kashmir issue. Has Germany done that?” he asked.
Asked if this gave Pakistan the right to train underground fighters, Mr Musharraf said: “Yes, it is the right of any country to promote its own interests when India is not prepared to discuss Kashmir at the United Nations and is not prepared to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner.”