October 16, 2001	Tuesday	Rajab 28, 1422

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WASHINGTON, Oct 15: Pakistani political parties’ support to Gen Pervez Musharraf at this critical point in the country’s history should not be seen as acceptance of the military government or as conferring legitimacy on it.

This point was stressed by Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto, who is on a short lecture tour of the United States, during an informal meeting with journalists in Washington the other evening.

She said the PPP had extended support to Gen Musharraf, despite its difference with him, because he had taken a decision in then nation’s interest by backing the US-led drive against terrorism, but the party stood by its demand for elections next year and a return to civilian, democratic rule. The question of legitimacy was separate from backing Gen Musharraf in the present crisis.

In fact, Ms Bhutto said, the situation in which Pakistan found itself would not have arisen if there had been continuity of democratic governance in Pakistan and her party had not been ousted form power. She said her government had managed to persuade Mullah Mohammad Omar, the supreme Taliban leader, to negotiate an alliance with other ethnic and sectarian groups and to sign a document that a broad-based administration would be formed in Kabul. The document should still be with the Foreign Office, she said.

Referring to the rise of the Taliban, which took place during her government’s second period in power, Ms Bhutto said her government had not created the Taliban, but adopted it. However, at that time it was seen as a factor for peace. It was later when Osama bin Laden made Afghanistan his base that the situation changed. Far from providing strategic depth for Pakistan, we’ve got a strategic threat from groups operating” in that country, Ms Bhutto said.

Although she asserted that most of the problems created for her came not from army chiefs, but from the intelligence agencies, she seemed disinclined to blame the ISI for funding militant madressahs and training camps.