Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON - Continued U.S. backing of President Pervez Musharraf risks alienating Pakistanis and increasing extremism in the nuclear-armed Islamic country, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said on Tuesday.
Khan said he came to the United States “to try and convince the politicians in Washington that the policy they have adopted is a disaster for Pakistan and it is a disaster for America”.
His main message to senior U.S. lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was that Washington must apply more pressure to make Musharraf reinstate the senior Pakistani justices who were sacked under emergency rule late last year.
“Sadly, the U.S. administration talked about elections, but did not talk about the reinstatement of the judges, which is the key to holding free and fair elections,” said Khan.
“This flawed policy has not only increased anti-Americanism in Pakistan but it has also inadvertently fuelled terrorism in the country,” he added.
Khan’s small Tehrik-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) party is boycotting February 18 elections, which he accused Musharraf of planning to rig to ensure a compliant parliament.
Khan, who led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup and founded his own party with Islamic overtones a decade ago, was among thousands of opponents and lawyers Musharraf detained after he imposed emergency rule on November 3.
Although the politicians were released and emergency rule was formally lifted in mid-December, the Supreme Court Chief Justice and other sacked judges have not been reinstated and remain a popular rallying point, Khan said.
He said President George W. Bush’s backing for Musharraf, regarded as a valued U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda, is compounding Pakistan’s problems.
“The strategy should be that only a genuinely elected government should be able to deal with terrorism by mobilizing the people and marginalize the terrorists,” said Khan.
E-mail this article to a friend
Tags: chief justice, Elections, Imran Khan, Musharraf, USA
7 responses so far ↓
1 Fayyaz // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Imran is a great politiation leader, His judgment is very much currect… Mushraf was doing good in the past but then after choosing Shoukat Aziz as prime minester he felt in troubles …. I guess the teem he select to rool the goverment was not senceiour with him……. and now he is really a rick for pakistan and U.S.
2 Sufi // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Iman Khan is our national asset and hero. He knows the gravity of the situation in the country under the usurper generals. He is really playing a fair game-a game to restore judiciary and free the heroes from the clutches of the coward generals.
3 Iqbal // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I dont think Shaukat Aziz was the cause. The politicans mushy choose to be in bed was PML-Q, and they’re all corrupt to the bone. And then Mushi’s own party, that is the army, too fell prey to filling up their pockets either through realestate or through deputations to all those public firms with huge budgets. So in summary, Mushi did not get screwed in the arse, he was the one raping.
4 Fayyaz // Jan 24, 2008 at 11:46 am
Well PML-Q must be blamed for the failour of goverment…. but please remember that ZafrullaH Jamali was a great choice as a prime minester by the PML-Q and some ministers in the gov. were also really great people like Zubaida Jala as education Minister, Atta ur rehman for science and tecnology …. but but later……….. All good people were sent behind the screne…….. and failour start from there…..
I am Agree that Army of pakistan is the BIGEST corrupt political party in pakistan.
5 Naveed // Jan 24, 2008 at 11:55 am
Imran is the hope for the poor people of Pakistan who have been throughly robbed of their basic rights by the dictator Mush. People generally like Imran becuase he dooes not seem to be suffering from inferiority complex while talking to the press and foreign media. He has the vision and understanding of the problems of Pakistan and how these can be solved. Besides he is honest and straight forward. Unlike Mush he would not try to become a slave of USA and west.
All Pkistanis should support him.
Naveed
6 Mustafa // Jan 24, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I just hope that the efforts being made by Khan could actually convince the US Law-makers that an independent judiciary is very much paramount for a fair and independent elections. At this moment, we need to give full support to Imran Khan who is practically the only politician whose stand for judiciary is consistent and by making him strong politically, we can actually help him to convince other politicians for this great cause.
7 jasmine // Feb 10, 2008 at 1:59 am
Imran Khan is also like others,,, you’ll only find out when he’ll get the chance to ruin our country. He has been corrupt throughout his life and has been involved in dirty politics with the fellow players.
Jasmine Rafique
http://pkfocus.blogspot.com/
Leave a Comment