ISLAMABAD, April 19 Former President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf claimed on Sunday that no child or woman had been killed during the Lal Masjid operation in 2007.

Before leaving for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, the former president told reporters at the airport it was time to stop all these lies. “Those who say women and children were killed and several hundreds died in the Lal Masjid operation are telling white lies. Only 94 people were killed and all of them were terrorists and extremists. Not a single woman or child was killed.”Gen (retd) Musharraf said he would meet King Abdullah during his stay in Saudi Arabia where he is going to perform an Umrah. He said he would also visit London and Prague.

A controversy has been persisting on the issue since the operation ended but nobody seems to know the exact number of casualties.

Even the former Khateeb of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, who made his first public appearance after his release on bail last week, said he did not know how many women and children had been killed during the operation.

About the possibility of registeration of a case against himself, Mr Musharraf said “If any action is initiated against me I will respond to it at that time.”

Maulana Abdul Aziz has announced that he does not plan to take any action against Pervez Musharraf because he wanted to forget the past.

According to a private TV channel, Gen (retd) Musharraf left for Saudi Arabia by a special plane sent by the Saudi monarch.

“The country is in danger and if we get bogged down in minor and old issues, there will be problems,” Mr Musharraf said. “The issue is very serious. Everyone in the world is seeing the seriousness of the issue in Pakistan. Everyone is trying to chart a course of action,” he added.

He said Pakistan should chart its own course of action to steer the country out of crisis. “And we have to be clear that nobody should dictate any course of action to us. We have to find our own course of action and save this country and move it forward towards progress,” the former president said. Asked if he thought the Swat peace deal would usher in peace and end suicide attacks, Mr Musharraf said “Nothing can be said (as of now). If the agreement is only for ensuring speedy and cheap justice within the Pakistani legal structure and system, then it is alright.

“But if (the deal was signed) from a position of weakness, if they (Taliban) want to challenge the writ of government, the deal is dangerous and should not be allowed.” Criticising the move for conditional financial aid, he said “We should not be happy about just getting money. There is interest on it (too). We are not getting it for free.”