WASHINGTON, Oct 22: President Pervez Musharraf called on Monday for an end to US-led attacks on Afghanistan before the start of the holy month of Ramazan.
He told CNN in an interview that the campaign could provoke “negative” reactions in the Muslim world if it extended into the month of Ramazan, due to start on November 17.
“It should not have any effect on the campaign as such, but it may have some effects in the Muslim world,” he said.
“So, one would hope and wish that this campaign comes to an end before the month of Ramazan. And, one would hope for restraint during the month of Ramazan, because this would certainly have some negative effects in the Muslim world,” he added.
President Musharraf’s remarks were made in an excerpt of the interview shown by CNN on Monday. The full interview will be aired later, CNN said.
Following president’s decision to support the US campaign of bombings and other attacks against Afghanistan, the country has been rocked by violent demonstrations organised by religious parties.
UNITY GOVERNMENT: President Pervez Musharraf in another interview with Lebanon’s Future TV called for Taliban moderates to play a role if an Afghan unity government is formed and warned against the opposition Northern Alliance taking sole control of Kabul.
“All Afghans must have a role to play. And within that, Taliban moderates ought to be having a role to play,” he said.
“I can’t really identify clearly who the moderates are” within the militia, he acknowledged. “But I presume there should be moderates within the Taliban ranks.”
The president warned of a repetition of past heavy bouts of internecine bloodshed if a single faction were to gain overall control of Afghanistan under the US onslaught against the Taliban.
“Atrocities could start if the vacuum is filled by the Northern Alliance,” he said. “There should be no chance of a repetition of that anarchy and such atrocities. The vacuum must not be filled by one group.”
Musharraf proposed a special arrangement for Kabul.
“That’s why I would go to the extent of saying that Kabul should be maintained as a neutral zone and that nobody should enter it,” he said.
A senior Taliban military commander last week met Pakistani officials to discuss a possible broad-based government in Afghanistan, a foreign ministry spokesman in Kabul said Saturday.—AFP
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