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| September 28, 2005 | Wednesday | Sha'aban 23, 1426 |
White House refuses to get involved in dispute over interview
WASHINGTON, Sept 27: Two days after the State Department refused to “play judge” between President Pervez Musharraf and The Washington Post over a controversial interview, the White House also has refused to get involved in the dispute.
At a Monday afternoon briefing, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan observed that “the government of Pakistan has addressed that matter and disputed some of the characterizations that were made” (in the interview published in the Post.)
The White House spokesman also played down President Musharraf’s statement that women in Pakistan are treated better than in the US, saying America “is a leader when it comes to speaking out about violence against women”.
“I think this issue came up at the State Department on Monday. And the United States is a leader when it comes to speaking out about violence against women, and taking steps to prevent it,” said Mr McClellan when asked to comment on President Musharraf’s statement.
“Our National Security Adviser is travelling in the region and visiting Afghan and Pakistani officials and talking about ways we can continue to work together on important priorities,” he added.
In an earlier briefing, the US State Department also had refused to get involved in the dispute between President Musharraf and the Post, saying instead that the US position on the issue of violence against women was very clear.
“And one thing we also do is we encourage leaders around the world to speak out about the fact that violence against women is unacceptable,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
He said the State Department was aware of the dispute between the Pakistani Government and Post and also noted that Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin had commented on this issue as well.
But when asked what the State Department had to say about this dispute, the spokesman said: “That is an issue for the Post and the government of Pakistan to resolve. I’m not here to play judge about whether or not he was quoted accurately,” Mr McClellan said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to United States, Jehangir Karamat on Tuesday decried what he termed ‘a vitriolic and personal attack on President Pervez Musharraf.” by the New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof in a column on September 20.
“Mr Kristof has every right to express his opinion. But about a subject taken as seriously by the government of Pakistan as is women’s rights, no one ought to engage in ad hominem attacks”, Gen Karamat said in a letter published in the paper on Tuesday.
Gen Karamat asserted that “President Musharraf’s remarks in the United States were sadly misinterpreted. He and the people of Pakistan believe in the equality of women and that violence against women is abhorrent and an affront to our nation.”
“We invite a review of our government’s commitment to women and its programme designed to empower women in our country. This is an important component of Pakistan’s development as a progressive and modern state” Gen Karamat said in the letter.
In his column Mr Kristof had severely criticised President Musharraf’s remarks published in the Washington Post wherein he was quoted as saying that rape has become a “moneymaking concern” in Pakistan and that many Pakistanis felt it was an easy way to make money and get a Canadian visa.
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