* Former president says army should have constitutional role to voice its opinion and influence what happens in country
LAHORE: Former president Pervez Musharraf has warned that the army may have to intervene again in Pakistan politics if the country continues on a downward pattern, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday.
Speaking to a private TV channel from his new residence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Musharraf said that Pakistan might be forced to take matters into its own hands – which could include working with the Taliban – if it continues to feel alienated by the rest of the world.
“There is no bar against me going back to Pakistan but the conditions have to be right,” he said. “What should Pakistan do? What should ISI do? What does the army chief do? They’ll make a strategy of protecting themselves,” he said.
To a question, whether it would mean working with the Taliban, the former president answered, “No comment, no comment. We must know that the protection of Pakistan is everything to us. If someone is disturbing this, I will go to any extent to protect my country, because that’s what I’m meant for. So you can see the answer yourself,” the channel quoted him as saying.
Issuing warning to the West, he said, “Pakistan has to be protected. If you don’t help, if no one helps, or instead is helping the other side, the side which is trying to disturb and destabilise us, well, then Pakistan has to take its own measures.” He said that Pakistan was in a terrible state – with its economy in crisis, high unemployment, mass discontent – and having terrorists on its soil.
Musharraf said that his return and his attempt to become an elected politician would this time give him the legitimacy which, according to him, he did not get the last time. “I was a dictator at that time in the eyes of the world.” He further said that the army might still have to play a role in determining the future leadership. “You have to remember, in Pakistan the armed forces play a very huge and vital role,” he said, adding, “I am of the opinion that the army should have a role in the constitution, so that it can voice its opinion and influence what happens in the country.”
Musharraf went onto saying that the army chief always had the quandary of upholding national security, ensuring survival of the state as well as balancing that against upholding democracy.
“Is democracy more vital than the state?” he questioned. “This is the question that arises. And the army is in-between. The army is the saviour and it can save the state. It cannot save democracy,” Musharraf said.