Author: PTI
Publication: Herald, Goa
Date: August 6, 2002
A former teacher of Pakistani president
Pervez Musharraf says. That Kargil incident was "a disaster of Musharraf's
making" and he had personally rebuked the general for his role.
The remark was reported by Yorker
magazine in its latest issue but it did not identify the teacher.
However, Musharraf, who was the
army chief during the Kargil conflict, said Pakistan would not give up
Kashmir.
The people of Kashmir won't give
up. It has been our national interest since 1947 and we won't give it up,"
he told the magazine in an interview.
Asked about former prime minister
Benazir Bhutto's assertion that she would return to fight October elections
in Pakistan, Musharraf said she would "go to jail" if she comes back.
If her party were to win, he said:
"...they govern. And I will insure they govern honestly."
Musharraf. Who is facing strong
opposition his term by the years through a referendum boycotted by major
political parties, said the constitutional amendments proposed by him would
ensure better governance of the country.
Claiming that he has taken the country
out of morass, Musharraf said, "It has been two and a half years of tremendous
danger - but I can say with satisfaction that my government has done well."
He also defended the constitutional
amendments, which could give army a prominent role, asserting after he
would give up powers to the prime minister, he would have to ensure the
country is governed well.
He would give full authority to
the prime minister but "If he does not do well, I will check him."
"In our political set up." he prime
minister, government and cabinet have to be contained if they are looting
and plundering the country. "Elected governments played merry hell here."
But he complained that West saw
him as a dictator and an aberration to democracy.
To a question, he said, "Right now
I am chief of army, chief executive, (I am) taking decision, running the
government, undertaking development, running the economy, finance, developing
the coastal highway, education."
But he said he is going to shed
power to the prime minister after the elections and he has to make... (incomplete)
