Pervez Musharraf said 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed was not a terrorist.
Islamabad:
Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that Afghanistan's intelligence agency -- the National Directorate of Security (NDS) -- was playing into Indian hands, and was being used as a tool for facilitating terror groups in Pakistan, media reported on Monday.
"This operation (Zarb-e-Azb) cleaned up all the camps and launching pads of terrorists, who were supported by the Indian spy agency with the collaboration of NDS, to destabilise the tribal areas," Mr Musharraf was quoted as saying to a TV Channel by Pakistan Today.
The former Pakistan military chief said that operation Zarb-e-Azb had no shortcomings as it was specifically for North Waziristan.
"Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has always been a sectarian outfit and is extensively involved in killing minorities in Quetta," he said.
He said that in his tenure as a military chief and President of the country, Pakistan was succeeding.
"We were able to bring India to the negotiating table and to sort out issues that India was not ready to discuss," he said.
Asked why he did not wipe out these outfits during his tenure, he said these terrorist groups did not exist during his tenure.
"This all started after I stepped down; we had carved out an effective strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir, we were near resolving Kashmir issue with India on a four-point agenda, our policies were successful; America and China were aligning with us," he said.
On the arrest of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamat-Ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, Mr Musharraf said Saeed was not a terrorist.
"Hafiz Saeed is not a terrorist, it should be established as he runs a very large charity; they contributed to relief activities in post-earthquake and post-flood periods in Pakistan," he said.
He said Hafiz Saeed was against Taliban and Al-Qaeda and that the nation should not be confused and that India is against them because their supporters go voluntarily to Jammu and Kashmir to fight the Indian Army, the report added.
"This operation (Zarb-e-Azb) cleaned up all the camps and launching pads of terrorists, who were supported by the Indian spy agency with the collaboration of NDS, to destabilise the tribal areas," Mr Musharraf was quoted as saying to a TV Channel by Pakistan Today.
The former Pakistan military chief said that operation Zarb-e-Azb had no shortcomings as it was specifically for North Waziristan.
"Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has always been a sectarian outfit and is extensively involved in killing minorities in Quetta," he said.
He said that in his tenure as a military chief and President of the country, Pakistan was succeeding.
"We were able to bring India to the negotiating table and to sort out issues that India was not ready to discuss," he said.
Asked why he did not wipe out these outfits during his tenure, he said these terrorist groups did not exist during his tenure.
"This all started after I stepped down; we had carved out an effective strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir, we were near resolving Kashmir issue with India on a four-point agenda, our policies were successful; America and China were aligning with us," he said.
On the arrest of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamat-Ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, Mr Musharraf said Saeed was not a terrorist.
"Hafiz Saeed is not a terrorist, it should be established as he runs a very large charity; they contributed to relief activities in post-earthquake and post-flood periods in Pakistan," he said.
He said Hafiz Saeed was against Taliban and Al-Qaeda and that the nation should not be confused and that India is against them because their supporters go voluntarily to Jammu and Kashmir to fight the Indian Army, the report added.
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