ISLAMABAD, Oct 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said that he will fully support the new government in establishing good governance and achieving socio-economic development.

“As the president I will assure full support to the new government in realizing the objectives of good governance and socio-economic development,” Gen Musharraf said in an interview published by the Jeddah-based dailies Saudi Gazette and Okaz on Wednesday.

“My government has laid the foundation for political, economic and social restructuring of society. Reforms have been introduced in practically every sphere of national life,” he said.

Now, the president said, it was for the newly-elected representatives of people to form a government which should ensure continuity of reforms and grapple with the problems afflicting the common man such as unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, disease and illiteracy.

About relations with Saudi Arabia, the president said: “We enjoy very strong and excellent relationship with Saudi Arabia.”

He said there had been total understanding of problems and unanimity of views. “The people and the government of Pakistan have great respect and love for the people and government of Saudi Arabia.”

Asked whether he was afraid of the growing influence of the religious parties after the elections, the president said: “Not at all. The people of Pakistan have voted for whoever they wanted.”

About Pakistan’s relations with the interim Afghan government and the issue of Pakistani prisoners’ shifting to India, the president said that Pakistan had good relations with the government of Afghanistan. “We have been assured by the Afghan foreign minister that the reports of any Pakistani prisoners being deported to India are baseless.”

The Afghan government, he said, had also assured the Pakistan government that Kabul’s relations with a third country would not be at the cost of its relations with Islamabad.

In reply to a question about the success of the US military campaign in Afghanistan, Gen Musharraf said the success of that campaign was a question which should be posed to the US government. However, he said, Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Talking about the performance of his government, the president said that there had been a substantial improvement in the national economy over the last three years.

He said Pakistan was on the brink of anarchy when the military government took over in 1999. State institutions had become ineffective; lawlessness, violence and corruption were rampant; economy was in shambles and Pakistan was almost pronounced a defaulter or a failed state.

In 1999, the president said, he had outlined four areas of focus to the nation aimed at bringing about socio-economic and political reforms. “By the grace of Allah Almighty, with the introduction of appropriate policies this promise has been fulfilled.”

The president said that the creation of the National Accountability Bureau had helped curtail widespread corruption in society.

“For the first time in Pakistan’s history, prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats, businessmen and military personnel were apprehended and tried. NAB recovered bank defaulted (money) amounting to Rs80 billion,” he said.

“The media in Pakistan has never been so free. The state-run television and radio networks are free to air the views of all, including the opposition,” he said.—APP