Interview with presidential spokesman

Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, the spokesman for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, is highly optimistic despite increased violence on the part of Islamic militants enraged by the government's pro-Western stance. In extracts from an interview with IRIN, he dismissed the threat posed by militancy, and in the run-up to October's parliamentary elections portrayed Musharraf as the most democratic and reformist leader ever in the chequered political history of Pakistan. QUESTION: Given Pakistan's support for the war against terrorism, there have been numerous reports that certain elements within the country would like to destabilise the current government. How big of a threat is this? ANSWER: There are a negligible and miniscule number of extremists in Pakistan, like a minority of extremists in any other country in the world. Yes, they are against President Musharraf's support to the world community and the coalition forces in the war against terrorism. The vast majority of Pakistanis are tolerant, forward looking and progressive, and they support the government. The government will not hesitate to take action against anyone involved in terrorism, extremism or anyone trying to destabilise this country. Q: Many people have criticised that curbs on militancy are not taking effect because the efforts are half-hearted. There have also been rumours of opposition within the military to some of these measures by Musharraf. Is it true ? A: I think this a terribly unfair comment, and I think people who have made this comment understand nothing of Pakistan's environment. Previously, never had terrorists been caught. They would run away into Afghanistan or disappear. This government has put in reforms in the law enforcement, police and intelligence agencies, and the judiciary itself has been gearing up. I will tell you what we have achieved. There has been an increase in the efficiency of the law enforcement agencies. Take the Daniel Pearl case: everyone involved is either on trial or has been put behind bars. In the bombing of the American consulate, which we think was an act of desperation, everyone has been caught. The extremist elements who tried to create havoc in Muree, in the school, within 72 hours they were hauled up and caught. The terrorists who tried to create mayhem in Taxila, within 72 hours, one was killed, two were caught and everyone involved was caught. This is the performance of law enforcement today and investigative agencies. We have set up a forensic laboratory, and reforms have been made. I think those who say not enough has been done have no idea of what has been done in the past two years in Pakistan. Q: Clearly Islamic militants are mocking the government and the military by their high-profile acts of terrorism against foreigners. If the government is sincere in curbing Islamic militancy, when will we see any results? A: Much more than this happens in other countries around the world. But Pakistan is under the spotlight. Let me now assure you again, after the last attack in Taxila, there has not been a single act of terrorism. I think the back of terrorism is broken. I think gradually there was a lot of fallout after what happened in Afghanistan. Over 400 extremists who tried to cross into Pakistan were caught immediately with the help of the tribals. They are all being tried. They [terrorists] were trying to create two cells in Faisalabad and Lahore, and they were apprehended immediately. One of the highest-ranking figures of Al-Qaeda [Abu Zubaydah] was caught by Pakistan. Frankly, what Pakistan has achieved in the time it has achieved it in, very few countries could have achieved that. Q: With elections a month away, even the United States has expressed concern at the constitutional amendments - that observers say will make the poll a sham - recently announced by the president. What are your thoughts? A: I think a lot of people who are outside Pakistan, especially those in the West, do not understand the environment in which Pakistan has been functioning under for the past 55 years, and what so-called elected governments have done to this country. Why do they find it difficult to understand? When an elected government or prime minister loots and plunders their own country, what is their check? They will turn around and say the parliament is there to check. In our 11 to 12 years of unfettered civilian governments - and I'm not calling it a democracy, because there has been no democratic government so far - no parliament has objected to the looting. Let me give you an example of corruption. The total foreign exchange reserves of this country in October 1999, when President Musharraf was forced into taking over this country, stood at 570 million dollars. Each one of our twice-elected prime ministers had a minimum of 10 times this amount in their personal accounts. Where did that money come from? People who have run away with money, we have caught. In the last two and a half years we have put Pakistan back on the right track. Today, Pakistan, from being the second-most-corrupt country in the world, is compared to Japan in transparency. All terrorists and extremists are on the run, if not behind bars. Pakistan has the capability and the potential, and you will see Pakistan rising much faster than its neighbouring countries. So it's very important that people in the West find out why this [constitutional amendment] has been done. It was done because we have learned lessons from the past. If we want to assess President Musharraf, we should be assessing him for what he has done to help this country in the past two years, and not what [former President Gen] Zia ul-Haq [killed in an air crash in 1988] did, not what so-and-so did, or what [former President] Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto [executed in 1979] did. The government of President Musharraf has been the most democratic this country has seen, if democracy means of the people, for the people, by the people. Q: How are you going to ensure next month's elections are free and fair? A: It's the job of the chief election commissioner and election commission. But the government will support anything that can be done to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Obviously, the chief election commissioner will decide what is needed. They've already laid down the rules and laws. I'm sure the government will cooperate totally. Q: There are indications that Pakistan's nuclear programme is a main target of the West. Has the United States made any such demands on the nuclear programme - capping or reversal - that are not acceptable to Pakistan ? A: Pakistan is an independent state. Nobody can put pressure on Pakistan to change what is in Pakistan's national interest. Pakistan will continue to do what is in Pakistan's interest. There are no pressures either on the government or the country. Q: How has Pakistan's international image changed since 11 September, and what are the main challenges it faces? A: I think we have surmounted the main challenges, and we need to continue in this direction, to make Pakistan or exploit Pakistan's potential. Pakistan has tremendous potential in all fields, whether in human resources or natural resources. We have studied everything in the past two years, and put strategies in place. All future governments have to do is maintain the right direction and Pakistan will become one of the leading nations of this region. I think those who have visited Pakistan have found that they had been totally fooled by perceptions in the media. Our image won't change overnight, but slowly and surely it will. Q: How are you encouraging the media to come to Pakistan, as censorship has been a problem in this country? A: I think Pakistan gives much quicker and faster access to not only just the media but anyone who wants to visit the country. I've been told by foreign journalists, friends of mine that 'oh my God, you have helped us so much and you are easily accessible all the time'. Our president is the most accessible president in the world. He is also the most-interviewed leader in the world. There is no bar on anyone coming to Pakistan to visit. At the same time, we are gearing up our embassies abroad in the same way and prove to the world that Pakistan is worth visiting.