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Washington:
Taking a U-turn former Pakistan President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has backtracked from his own statement saying that while he was in power, he diverted US supplied weaponry to strengthen defences against India.
In a statement issued in Philadelphia, Mr Musharraf said the issue highlighted by some Indian leaders and media was not even raised in the interview.
Musharraf said, "I have never said Pakistan violated any agreement. Pakistan never violated any agreement or mis-utilised US funds" for strengthening its defences against India.
There were reports earlier that Musharraf had acknowledged using US military aid meant to fight the extremists to strengthen Pakistan's defences against India.
"The US at the time was aware of what we were doing," he was quoted as saying by 'Dawn News'.
His U-turn came three days after he admitted in a TV interview that the military aid provided by the US to Pakistan for the war against terror during his tenure had been used to strengthen defences against India. He had also said he "did not care" whether the US would be angered by his disclosure.
"No question was asked regarding US funds for fighting the militants in this interview or at any other time," Musharraf said in the statement. "I have never said Pakistan violated
any agreement."
The US State Department had said it took "very seriously" Musharraf's admission, but refrained from stating whether it would investigate the matter.
Washington has given a whopping over $7 billion in aid to Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks in America to fight terrorism.
Musharraf's retraction came on a day when Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accused him of doing disservice to the nation by making remarks on the aid issue.
"If he (Musharraf) has said what has been printed in newspapers, then he has not done any service to Pakistan. If he has said this, he has not strengthened Pakistan's case,"
Qureshi told reporters in his hometown of Multan.
After Musharraf's disclosure, India had said his statement did not come as a surprise.
"We have for some years now arguing that the only problem we have with the US military aid to Pakistan is its misuse against us," Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said in New Delhi. (With PTI inputs)
Taking a U-turn former Pakistan President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has backtracked from his own statement saying that while he was in power, he diverted US supplied weaponry to strengthen defences against India.
In a statement issued in Philadelphia, Mr Musharraf said the issue highlighted by some Indian leaders and media was not even raised in the interview.
Musharraf said, "I have never said Pakistan violated any agreement. Pakistan never violated any agreement or mis-utilised US funds" for strengthening its defences against India.
There were reports earlier that Musharraf had acknowledged using US military aid meant to fight the extremists to strengthen Pakistan's defences against India.
"The US at the time was aware of what we were doing," he was quoted as saying by 'Dawn News'.
His U-turn came three days after he admitted in a TV interview that the military aid provided by the US to Pakistan for the war against terror during his tenure had been used to strengthen defences against India. He had also said he "did not care" whether the US would be angered by his disclosure.
"No question was asked regarding US funds for fighting the militants in this interview or at any other time," Musharraf said in the statement. "I have never said Pakistan violated
any agreement."
The US State Department had said it took "very seriously" Musharraf's admission, but refrained from stating whether it would investigate the matter.
Washington has given a whopping over $7 billion in aid to Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks in America to fight terrorism.
Musharraf's retraction came on a day when Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accused him of doing disservice to the nation by making remarks on the aid issue.
"If he (Musharraf) has said what has been printed in newspapers, then he has not done any service to Pakistan. If he has said this, he has not strengthened Pakistan's case,"
Qureshi told reporters in his hometown of Multan.
After Musharraf's disclosure, India had said his statement did not come as a surprise.
"We have for some years now arguing that the only problem we have with the US military aid to Pakistan is its misuse against us," Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said in New Delhi. (With PTI inputs)
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